Action Alert: Comment to Save the Public Lands Rule
The Trump Administration wants to eliminate a rule that conserves millions of acres of public lands across the Western United States.
See: Political Tracker Entry — Repeal of Public Lands Rule
The Public Lands Rule (also knowns as the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule) covers 245 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It elevates conservation as a goal of the BLM — on par with mining, oil and gas development, and logging. In other words, it simply establishes balance between resource extraction and conservation. Repealing the rule will mean less BLM land preserved for wildlife habitat, cultural resources, clean water, and public access.
Public comment period opens
But there is good news — you can do something about this. To repeal the rule, the administration first needs to go through a new rulemaking process. As a required step, they have opened a public comment period which closes on November 10, 2025.
You can submit your public comment here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/11/2025-17537/rescission-of-conservation-and-landscape-health-rule
How does your comment make a difference?
Your comment can make a difference. The Administrative Procedure Act creates a legal requirement for the Department of the Interior to take public comments into account in its rulemaking process. So we need the public to submit comments with valid conservation concerns about overturning the Public Lands Rule. Then if the administration ignores those comments and repeals the rule, it makes any lawsuits challenging that decision much stronger.
How To Submit a Great Comment
First, any comment is better than no comment. So if you don't have the time or mental energy to submit a great comment, just do what you can.
With that being said, if you want to submit a great comment, consider the advice below from the San Juan Citizen's Alliance which is the leading the effort in Colorado to save the Public Lands Rule:
- Personalize your comment!
- Identify and explain the problem
- Offer factual and unbiased information and make it place-based – for example, this interaction happened at this location
- Provide personal experiences and observations
- Highlight what is good with the rule
- Short comments are not better comments. Details are good, and having a longer comment does not mean it won’t be read!
Talking Points:
- Public lands are for Americans, present and future, and not just for short-term industry gain.
- Conservation, recreation, wildlife, and cultural resources should be prioritized alongside industry.
- The Public Lands Rule passed less than a year ago with overwhelming public support, setting a standard in land-management that balances conservation with development.
- Public lands are the cornerstones of strong communities, local economies, and preserve beloved landscapes for generations to come. We must stand up for them at every turn.
Sample Comments:
A number of organizations have provided sample comments to provide ideas for what you can say. However, making your comments unique and personal will give them maximum impact.
- General focus: San Juan Citizens Alliance
- General focus: Conservation Lands Foundation
- New Mexico focus: New Mexico Wild
- California focus: CalWild