Feds Exempt 258 Million Acres From Environmental Review

Dan Shapley / News Editor

In a move decried by environmentalists, the Bureau of Land Management Tuesday exempted certain forestry, grazing, oil and gas, and recreation projects from environmental reviews if private interests propose project son 258 million acres of BLM lands. Environmentalists had opposed the two-year-old proposal, which was enacted today by James L. Caswell, who was confirmed by the Senate as the new BLM director Aug. 6.

The expansion of the number of so-called "categorical exclusions" for certain forestry, grazing, oil and gas, and recreation activities means that those actions no longer need to undergo environmental review by the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. The act requires a thorough review of federal decisions, so that any potential environmental damage can be prevented or mitigated.

According to the Bureau of Land Management, the new categorical exclusions will "improve efficiency of environmental reviews." "Certain routine actions in the BLM''s forestry, grazing, oil and gas, and recreation programs are now among those that do not require an (Environmental Assessment) or (Environmental Impact Statement)," the agency's press release reads.

"Procedural requirements under all federal laws relating to environmental protection -- including the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Clean Water Act and others -- still apply to these activities." The Natural Resources Defense Council, which is among those groups that opposed the changes to the rules, said the change would allow the unfettered use of 60,000-pound "thumper" trucks used to explore for new oil and gas reserves, an increase in grazing that harms publicly-owned lands and an increase in salvage logging on fire-scorched plots of less than 250 acres.

Whereas environmental groups fought projects such as these, or had their scale or methods changed to reduce environmental impact, they now expect to be shut out of the permitting process, said NRDC spokeswoman Julia Bovey. The NEPA review is typically the time when groups can present expert witnesses and scientific information that might alter a project before it starts. "This is publicly held land, owned by the people of the United States of America," Bovey said. She said the NRDC would decide by the end of the day whether or not to sue.

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