The Biden administration has recently finalized a new rule for public land management that aims to prioritize conservation alongside oil drilling, grazing, and other extractive industries on vast government-owned properties. Despite facing opposition from private industry and Republican governors, the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management has pushed through the proposal.
The new rule will allow public property to be leased for restoration purposes, similar to how land is leased for oil drilling. It also encourages the designation of more 'areas of critical environmental concern,' which can restrict development on land with historical, cultural, or wildlife conservation significance.
