By Merilee Gasser
(The Center Square) – A proposed Bureau of Land Management rule would be “dangerous” for South Dakota’s economy and American independence, Gov. Kristi Noem said Thursday.
The South Dakota governor commented during her testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. She testified in favor of House Rule 3397, which would require the agency to withdraw its proposed Conservation and Landscape Health rule.
“The number one concern for me is that conservation is already incredibly a part of every single management practice that happens on BLM land. To go out there and to create a mechanism such as a conservation lease that could be bought by third parties, not even necessarily by people in our own country, and give them access and authority over these lands, it’s dangerous,” Noem said.
The proposed rule would designate conservation as a use of public lands and would apply land health standards and guidelines to all 245 million acres of BLM-managed land, according to the agency.
Noem said the rule would create an “unnecessary burden” and tramples on states’ rights.
“We cannot allow rules like this to move forward in a way that stops productivity, and its stops American independence. Nearly 98% of BLM’s surface lands in South Dakota are grazed by permittees. Grazing is an important conservation strategy in South Dakota. We also host 76 active producing oil and gas wells and 36,762 acres. These acres provide outdoor recreation opportunities including hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and more and we must maintain public access in order for these lands to benefit both South Dakota residents and visitors,” the governor said.
When asked how the rule, if put into effect, would impact South Dakota’s economy, Noem said it would be “dramatic.”
“What’s interesting to me is that if you read the rule and the analysis that BLM has put out on the rule, is that they’ve done no economic evaluation,’ Noem said. “In fact, they’ve openly declared that this is not a major rule, that it does not have more of an impact than $100 million on our economy. Yet, if you keep reading through the rule, they’ve done no economic analysis and have no idea what the consequences will be if this is put into place.”
Marrilee Gasser is a contributor to The Center Square.
Originally published by The Center Square. Republished with permission.
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