Comments close: Revision of Regulations for Planning, Programming, Budgeting

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise its land use planning regulations (43 CFR Part 1600). The proposal aims to streamline the planning process, remove redundant or non-statutory procedures, and improve coordination with Federal, State, local, and tribal governments. Key changes include removing 'programming' and 'budgeting' from the part title, clarifying terminology for plan development, revision, amendment, and maintenance, and establishing a new subpart for emergency planning procedures. The rule proposes significant changes to public participation and consistency review processes. The BLM intends to reduce minimum public comment periods, move protest filings to an electronic-only format, and shorten the Governor's consistency review period from 60 to 30 days. Additionally, the proposal introduces a new local government consistency review process, allowing local officials to submit recommendations directly to the BLM. Furthermore, the rule seeks to remove prescriptive internal administrative workflows and redundant NEPA-related requirements, allowing the BLM to comply with NEPA as appropriate for individual planning efforts. The proposal also clarifies the designation and management of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and removes specific program-related regulations, such as those for coal and surface mining, to focus the regulations strictly on planning procedures.