Updated Conservation Plan Could Benefit Northwestern California

On Dec. 15, 2023, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments to the Arcata and Redding, California, field offices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the agency’s draft Resources Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for about 382,000 acres in the state’s northwest. Pew commended the agencies’ proposal to expand conservation for unique and special lands, consider wildlife connectivity, and plan for climate change. The letter also urged BLM to further expand conservation where appropriate to protect all eligible lands and rivers in the planning areas.

Through the Arcata and Redding field offices, BLM oversees some of the most diverse, unspoiled land in the country, including oak woodlands, winding rivers and streams, and habitat for diverse wildlife such as bald eagles, salmon, steelhead, and sandhill cranes. These lands also hold cultural significance for many Tribes, provide clean drinking water for nearby communities, and sequester and store climate-warming carbon.