Biden Administration Proposes Public Land Leasing for Conservation.
The Biden administration has proposed a new rule that would allow the Interior Department to lease public lands for conservation, similar to how the agency delivers leases for oil and gas development and mining projects. The Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in a dozen western states. The proposal comes after the Interior earlier this month approved a major and controversial oil drilling plan in Alaska, known as Willow. The Biden administration has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a goal that includes conserving and restoring lands critical for carbon sequestration.