Senate lawmakers on Wednesday criticized the tepid pace of the Bureau of Land Management’s planning and permitting processes — striking unusual bipartisan agreement over often prolonged timelines — but Democrats argued that little can be fixed if the Trump administration continues to slash the agency’s staff levels.
During a Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, lawmakers weighed legislative reforms aimed at speeding BLM’s ability to issue permits for energy and infrastructure projects on the 245 million acres of federal lands it oversees.
“We have an opportunity to explore ways we can improve the planning process,” Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) said in his opening remarks.
“The functioning system should allow for adaptive management; it should allow for timely adjustments and stable expectations for project sponsors; it should respect the knowledge of state and local governments that live with the practical consequences of these federal decisions.”
