Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt directed
the Bureau of Land Management to prioritize public access in decisions
regarding the disposal and exchange of BLM public lands. Bernhardt signed Secretarial
Order 3373, Evaluating Public Access in Bureau of Land Management Land
Disposals and Exchanges, to help ensure that BLM public lands, no matter how
small, remain in public hands if they are highly valued for outdoor recreation
access.
“Sportsmen and women across the West will benefit from this Interior Department
action to sustain and enhance recreational access to BLM public lands,” said Whit
Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore
Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “In some places, there are small
parcels of BLM land that serve as the only means of nearby access to hunting
and fishing or as the only access points to adjoining public lands managed by
other agencies. The Secretarial Order will ensure that key parcels are valued
for this recreational access and help keep these lands in the public’s hands.”
For the past 40 years, the BLM has been required to identify small tracts of
land available for sale or disposal. Until this week, this frequently included
public lands that offer important recreational access. As a result, the BLM has
been identifying for disposal remote, yet high-value, public land parcels,
including tracts along
the banks of the Snake River in Idaho and at
the base of the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming.
The guidance means that the agency now must consider public access when
determining the value of these isolated parcels of public lands. Further, in
the event that a disposal or exchange might affect public access, the order
provides additional direction to help retain that public access or makeup for
any losses of access through an associated acquisition.
A recent study led by the digital mapping company onX
and TRCP found that 9.52 million acres of public lands in the West are inaccessible
to the public without permission from private landowners. Small, isolated
parcels of BLM land often provide the only means of access to larger parcels
managed by states or other federal agencies that would otherwise be similarly
“landlocked.” Because of today’s directive, the BLM must now weigh such
potential implications in any decision regarding the disposal or exchange of
these types of parcels.
“GPS technology has revolutionized the way that Americans use their public
lands, making it easier than ever before for the average outdoor enthusiast to
identify and access smaller, out-of-the-way parcels,” said onX founder Eric
Siegfried. “As a result, there’s been a growing awareness in recent years that
landlocked or inaccessible public lands represent lost hunting and fishing
opportunities for the American people. We applaud the Department of the
Interior for reaffirming the importance of public land access, and for taking
this step to ensure that all Americans can take advantage of the incredible experiences
offered by our nation’s public lands.”
“Access is one of the most significant priorities for hunters and anglers and a
real concern for new sportsmen and women in particular,” said John Gale,
conservation director for Backcountry
Hunters & Anglers. “Our public lands and waters provide access to all
regardless of stature. We thank the administration for their leadership and
foresight in elevating consideration for lands that not only support fish and
wildlife habitat but provide access and opportunities to ensure that our
outdoor traditions endure
