All About the Public Lands Rule — What It Means for Those of Us Who Explore America’s Backcountry
By Del Albright
Opening Summary: Why the Public Lands Rule Is Being Targeted for Rescission
The Public Lands Rule is facing rescission because critics argue it gives the BLM too much authority to prioritize conservation above traditional “multiple uses,” such as grazing, mining, energy development, and even some forms of recreation. Opponents—including several Western state governments, livestock groups, and industry coalitions—claim the rule effectively creates “non-use” designations without congressional approval, expands ACEC authority beyond legislative intent, and introduces new conservation leases that could limit access to lands historically available for economic uses. They also argue the rule shifts the BLM’s mission away from balanced multiple-use management and toward conservation-first decision-making, something they say Congress never authorized. As a result, lawsuits, political pressure, and administrative pushback have combined to drive the proposal to rescind the rule.
If you spend time exploring the backcountry—whether in a Jeep, SxS, pickup, or adventure rig—you’ve probably heard chatter about the Public Lands Rule, officially called the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule (CLHR). It’s one of the most significant shifts in BLM policy in decades, and with proposals to rescind it now circulating, it’s also among the most misunderstood.
This guide breaks it down in plain English:
What the rule is, what it does, and what it means for motorized recreation, overlanding, and public-lands access.
What Is the Public Lands Rule?
(Also known as the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule – CLHR)
The Public Lands Rule is a 2024 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy that elevates conservation to the same level of importance as grazing, mining, energy, and recreation under the agency’s multiple-use mandate.
That’s it in a nutshell.
Its official name—Conservation and Landscape Health Rule (CLHR)—focuses on restoring and protecting landscapes so they remain healthy and resilient for future generations.
Key goals of the rule
Protect “intact, functioning landscapes.”
Restore damaged or degraded lands.
Use science, data, and Indigenous knowledge in decision-making.
Formally recognize conservation as a valid “use” of public lands.
Improve consistency in how BLM manages land health across the West.
What Does the Rule Actually Do?
Here are the major components, simplified:
1. Elevates Conservation to Equal Status
Historically, the BLM leaned heavily toward extractive uses—grazing, mining, energy—while conservation was more of a side note.
The Public Lands Rule puts conservation on equal footing with everything else. Some say conservation has become a higher priority than anything else.
2. Establishes New Tools: Restoration & Mitigation Leases
Entities (nonprofits, tribes, local groups, etc.) could lease BLM land for:
Habitat restoration
Landscape recovery
Mitigation projects tied to development elsewhere
Think of it as a structured way to improve damaged public lands.
3. Prioritizes “Intact Landscapes”
The BLM must identify large, connected landscapes that are still healthy—and protect or manage them to stay that way.
4. Strengthens Land-Health Standards
New guidance pushes local BLM offices to:
Assess ecosystem health
Plan for long-term resilience
Use consistent criteria across states and regions
5. Updates How ACECs Are Identified & Managed
Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) get a sharper focus, and the process for identifying them becomes more proactive.
Why Is Everyone Talking About It?
Because it changes the balance.
For decades, public-lands decisions leaned primarily toward production—livestock, mining, energy, and industrial use. Conservation was part of the mix, but not codified as a formal “use.”
The Public Lands Rule aims to reset that balance and make conservation an equal partner in the multiple-use framework.
Supporters say
It protects vulnerable ecosystems.
It improves land health and resilience.
It uses science-based management.
It helps restore damaged lands.
Critics say
It could restrict development or traditional uses.
It may increase designations that limit certain activities.
It gives too much emphasis to “non-use.”
Its new leasing program could complicate land allocation.
And now, a formal proposal to rescind the rule has been introduced—adding to the confusion.
What Does the Public Lands Rule Mean for Motorized Recreation?
Here’s the part that matters most to Jeepers, overlanders, SxS riders, and all motorized explorers. This is taken from the website of the California 4 Wheel Drive Association (Cal4wheel):
“As public land access advocates, one of our chief concerns is that the CLHR can be used to limit motorized recreation, dispersed camping, and other forms of outdoor recreation on public lands. The CLHR provides a new way for conservation organizations to create de facto wilderness where they have previously failed to get Congress to make wilderness designations. The $800 billion outdoor recreation industry historically has thrived because of the BLM’s careful efforts to balance conservation with other uses. By prioritizing conservation even more than it already is, the CLHR undermines an industry that is fueling the livelihoods of tens of millions of citizens who live in the West.”
READ the Cal4wheel report and explanation here.
Why This Matters for Stewards of Public Lands
For folks who love exploring the great outdoors by motor, this rule is a call to stay involved.
It reinforces the importance of:
Showing up at BLM meetings
Commenting on plans and proposals
Supporting the right recreation groups
Educating new riders
Practicing and promoting sustainable recreation
Using apps like OnX to stay aligned with MVUMs
Working with local field offices—not against them
The more motorized users show we care about land health, the stronger our seat at the table becomes.
The Bottom Line
The Public Lands Rule (aka Conservation and Landscape Health Rule) is the BLM’s 2024 policy that officially elevates conservation as a core use of public lands. It aims to protect large intact landscapes, restore degraded areas, and put science at the center of land-management decisions.
For motorized recreation, it does not automatically reduce access—but it raises the bar for sustainability, stewardship, and land-health accountability. Noted motorized recreation groups claim it creates defacto Wilderness where they couldn’t get it before from Congress.
Whether the rule stands, evolves, or is rescinded, one thing stays constant:
Our access is protected best when we’re informed, involved, and united as responsible recreationists.
READ about Travel Management and Roadless Rule here.
LEARN more about landuse in general.