Trump signs repeal of BLM Planning 2.0 regulation under Congressional Review Act

A bill repealing the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Planning 2.0 regulation under the Congressional Review Act was signed by President Donald Trump on Monday, restoring state and local authority over land use decisions.

U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) introduced H.J. Res. 44 to rollback the BLM Planning 2.0 rule that was finalized under former President Barack Obama in December.

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), a cosponsor of the Senate version of the bill, said the rule would have moved decision-making away from the state and local level and “pushed it to bureaucrats in Washington.”

BLM manages more than 246 million acres of land and 700 million acres of federal and non-federal subsurface estates. Prior to the enactment of the Planning 2.0 rule, resource management planning was largely led by BLM’s field offices in coordination with state, local and tribal governments, Hoeven said.

“Rolling back this rule ensures that federal land management is conducted at the local level, by those who best understand the land and the needs of the surrounding communities,” Hoeven said. “Rescinding the BLM Planning 2.0 rule will also help ensure that we achieve our conservation goals while also keeping our federal lands available for beneficial uses, like grazing and recreation.”

Cheney applauded Trump for keeping his campaign promises to end federal overreach and return authority to states and local communities.

“The rule we overturn (on Monday) would have had far reaching and damaging implications on public lands and our economy in Wyoming,” Cheney said. “Planning 2.0 would have given the federal government and radical environmental groups control over land use and resource planning in our state, at the expense of local officials and stakeholders.”

U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a cosponsor of the bill, said states and local county officials should have more control over decision-making, not less.

“If allowed to go into effect, this rule would shift decision-making authority away from local BLM officials to Washington — making coordination between community leaders and federal officials near impossible. This is bad for agriculture, it’s certainly bad for the energy industry, and it’s bad for hiking and the multiple recreational uses on federal land,” Cramer said.