From the very beginning, BlueRibbon Coalition identified the risks embedded in the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, sounding the alarm well before it became widely known as the “Public Lands Rule.” BRC intentionally used the rule’s formal name early on to ensure clarity about what was actually being proposed—new authorities like conservation leasing and expanded land designations that raised serious questions about statutory authority, public access, and the future of multiple-use management. As opposition grew, the rebranding of the proposal into the more widely known, “Public Lands Rule” reflected a broader effort by special interest, anti-access groups to frame the policy in a way that masked its true implications and made it more politically palatable to the public.
BRC consistently connected this rule to a larger trend, including proposals like Natural Asset Companies (NACs), that signaled a shift toward the financialization and external control of public lands. Throughout the process, BRC led a sustained effort to stop the rule at every level—mobilizing grassroots opposition, working with Congress to introduce and advance legislation like the WEST Act, engaging directly with federal agencies, and evaluating potential legal challenges.
From initial proposal to final rescission, BRC pushed for the complete withdrawal administratively, legislatively, and, if necessary, through the courts. The eventual rescission of the rule reflects years of coordinated advocacy aimed at preserving multiple-use management and protecting public access from policies that could have fundamentally reshaped how public lands are managed.
Public Lands Rule rescission took three years of sustained pressure. The off-road community and our supporters who donated, answered action alerts, submitted comments, and pressed their representatives are the reason it happened. You made this work possible, and you should see exactly how it moved through the system. Below is a timeline of what BRC & our supporters did, when, and what it took to get to the finish line. To all of our members, supporters and those who took action— thank you for protecting access to our public lands!
BlueRibbon Coalition
The Fight to Rescind the Public Lands Rule
Three years. Dozens of meetings. Thousands of comments. Here is how BRC and our members worked to defeat the Bureau of Land Management's Conservation and Landscape Health Rule.
-
April 4, 2023
BLM Releases the Proposed Rule
The Bureau of Land Management released the proposed Conservation and Landscape Health Rule in the Federal Register.
-
April 14, 2023
BRC Publishes Opposition
BRC published an article, podcast and action alert asking our members to oppose the proposal.
-
May 12, 2023
Legislation Introduced in Congress
BRC worked with Congress to have legislation introduced to withdraw the proposed rule. With our members, we continued to reach out to members of Congress encouraging them to co-sponsor the bill, tracking each new signer to show the momentum our members were creating.
-
May 22, 2023
Withdraw the Rule Campaign Launches
BRC launched the Withdraw the Rule campaign to mobilize the off-road community.
-
May 24, 2023
Op-Ed in the Salt Lake Tribune
BlueRibbon Coalition Executive Director Ben Burr was asked by the Salt Lake Tribune to write an op-ed on the Rule.
-
June 5, 2023
Official Comments Submitted
BRC submitted official comments opposing the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule. You can read our comments submitted in 2023 here.
-
May 9, 2024
BLM Releases the Final Rule
Despite widespread opposition, the BLM released the final rule of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule.
-
2024
ACEC Expansion Across the West
The BLM released several proposed plans that expanded Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) by millions of acres, including the Bears Ears National Monument resource management plan and the Rock Springs resource management plan.
-
2024
Legal Strategy Develops
BRC began discussing a legal strategy to challenge the legality of the rule and started monitoring BLM offices for conservation lease applications.
-
February 2025
BRC Brings Priorities to Washington, D.C.
Executive Director Ben Burr, Policy Director Simone Griffin, and Board Vice President Shannon Welch went to Washington D.C. to present BRC's top priorities for the Trump Administration. Rescinding the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule sat at the top of that list, delivered in more than 20 meetings.
-
February 14, 2025
The WEST Act Is Introduced
BRC continued working with Congress to pass legislation that would rescind the rule. The WEST Act was introduced.
-
June 2025
DOI Asks for Deregulation Input
The Department of Interior requested public feedback on which regulations need to be revised or rescinded. BRC called for the rule to be rescinded.
-
September 2025
Public Comment Period Reopened
The BLM opened another public comment period for the proposed rescission of the rule. BRC members sent in thousands of comments in support of withdrawing the rule.
-
December 2025
Meetings With BLM Leadership
BRC met with high-ranking BLM officials to discuss the rule, encouraging a full withdrawal rather than a revision.
-
May 11, 2026 — Victory
The Public Lands Rule Is Rescinded
The Conservation and Landscape Health Rule is officially rescinded in its entirety. A win for access, multiple use, and the rule of law. You can read BRC's full analysis of the Public Lands Rule rescission here.
