Planning 2.0
Improving the Way We Plan Together
As part of our continuing commitment to improve our management of the nation’s public lands, the Bureau of Land Management is reviewing the way we develop and update our Resource Management Plans (RMPs).
This initiative, known as Planning 2.0, aims to increase public involvement and incorporate the most current data and technology into our land use planning. We have released final revisions to our planning regulations along with several supporting documents, including a response to public comments, an economic analysis, and a categorical exclusion. By implementing these improvements, the BLM endeavors to enhance the way that it involves the public in its planning efforts, including measures to provide earlier, easier, and more meaningful participation.
In a related effort, the BLM is revising its land use planning handbook that provides detailed guidance on implementing the planning processes. The agency anticipates releasing a draft of the handbook for review in 2017.
Together, these regulatory and handbook revisions apply lessons learned from decades of implementing best practices in resource management planning and enable the agency to effectively address emerging large-scale issues such as proliferating wildfire, rapidly expanding renewable energy demand, and conserving important wildlife habitat. The proposed changes support the BLM’s shift to science-based, landscape-scale approaches to resource management while increasing opportunities for early engagement by state and local government, Tribes, partner agencies, stakeholders, and the public. The changes also give the BLM the opportunity to establish a stronger geospatial foundation to its decision-making, allowing it to gather and share more accurate data with the public.
Watch the following video of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell inviting public participation in the revision process.