An Influence on the Land

Climate change is influencing western lands and resources in many ways. As average temperatures rise, droughts are increasing, snowpack is declining, and water supplies are diminishing in key areas. Arctic permafrost is thawing. Wildfires have become larger and more frequent. Noxious weeds and invasive species are crowding out native plants and wildlife (see USGCRP findings below).

These changes undermine the ecological health of BLM-managed lands and impact our quality of life. Healthy public lands produce vital water supplies and natural resources for energy, food, and shelter. They also provide valued recreation opportunities, and places of solitude and beauty, which nurture and replenish our spirit. These core values and benefits are threatened by the environmental changes underway. 

The BLM is undertaking two connected initiatives to understand, anticipate, and respond to the effects of climate change on the public lands. These initiatives are Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs), which are currently being prepared, and a proposed landscape approach for managing public lands.

The purpose of these initiatives is to help BLM managers and public land stakeholders understand environmental conditions and trends from a broader landscape perspective, and to use this information to inform, focus, and coordinate management efforts on-the-ground. The REAs and proposed landscape approach offer a way to integrate the BLM’s conservation, restoration, and development programs in a cohesive manner. These efforts will help sustain important public land values and meet the Nation’s energy needs in an era of climate change and other profound environmental challenges.