BLM set to finalize rule allowing federal leases for protection of natural areas – Malheur Enterprise

The Malheur Enterprise

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BLM set to finalize rule allowing federal leases for protection of natural areas – Malheur Enterprise

The Bureau of Land Management will publish a final rule soon allowing the nation’s public lands to be leased for environmental protection, a Thursday, April 18, news release from the Interior Department said. The rule, which both proponents and detractors say marks a shift in the agency’s focus toward conservation, directs land managers at the agency to identify landscapes in need of restoration and to create plans to fill those needs. It also c…