White House Announces New Rule That Prioritizes Environmental Protection

WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its final Public Lands Rule, marking a pivotal step in recognizing the agency's duty to protect clean water, forests, and wildlife as mandated by the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act.

Following is a statement from Bobby McEnaney, Director of Conservation Lands at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

"From the very beginning, stewardship has been at the core of BLM's mission, and this rule addresses BLM's long-standing imbalance favoring extractive activities over its obligation to steward environmental resources, including the provision of clean water to millions in the West. In the face of climate change, this important step will help improve drought resiliency and further safeguard countless communities."

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at http://www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.