On March 11, 2025, Representative Jeff Hurd of Colorado introduced the Productive Public Lands Act. This legislation mandates the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reissue Resource Management Plans (RMPs) from the Trump Administration, effectively nullifying several Biden-era RMPs that had restricted access to public lands across Colorado and the Western United States.
The BLM’s multiple-use mandate requires federal lands to be managed for various purposes to achieve sustainable yield. However, recent RMPs under the Biden Administration have been criticized for limiting access to these lands, thereby hindering recreational activities. The Productive Public Lands Act aims to reverse these restrictions by reinstating RMPs from the previous administration. The bill seeks to restore the BLM’s ‘multiple-use mandate,’ ensuring public lands are available for various activities, including recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, drilling, mining, and other appropriate uses. The following RMP’s would be nullified:
- Grand Junction Field Office RMP
- Colorado River Valley Field Office RMP
- Miles City Field Office RMP
- Rock Springs Field Office RMP
- Royal Gorge Field Office RMP
- Big Game Habitat Conservation for Oil and Gas Management in Colorado RMP
- Lakeview RMP
- Gunnison Sage-Grouse RMP
- Buffalo Field Office RMP
Western Caucus Chairman Doug LaMalfa of California supports the bill, stating that it will “open up the public’s land to be used for recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, drilling, mining and other appropriate uses.” He emphasizes that this move counters previous policies that threatened the prosperity of rural economies by restricting land access.
Co-Sponsors:
- Representatives Doug LaMalfa (CA-01)
- Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
- Harriet Hageman (WY-AL)
- Ryan Zinke (MT-01)
- Troy Downing (MT-02)
- Gabe Evans (CO-08)
