Inflation Reduction Act will fund Landscape Restoration
by Heather Feeney, Public Affairs Specialist
The BLM plans to infuse $161 million of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into 21 "Restoration Landscapes" across 11 western states to restore public lands and strengthen communities and local economies as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda.
Proposed work in these landscapes will range from restoring habitat in the sagebrush steppe of the high desert, to re-creating wetland meadows, to repairing watersheds on former industrial timberlands. The planned investments will increase the ability of public lands to provide clean water, habitat for fish and wildlife, opportunities for recreation and more resilience to wildfire, drought and climate change.
Public lands the BLM manages face new and growing challenges from invasive species, unprecedented wildfires, drought and increasing use. Exacerbated by climate change, these impacts are degrading landscapes and impacting public uses -- from recreation to grazing.
Resilient public lands are critical to the BLM's ability to manage for multiple use and sustained yield -- which is the essence of the agency's mission.
"We aim to pass these lands on to future managers and future generations of users in better shape than we find them today," said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning.
Investment of IRA funding will leverage over $40 million the BLM has already deployed in Restoration Landscapes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), primarily to reduce threats of catastrophic wildfire. The agency will continue to prioritize projects funded through BIL in these landscapes, to maximize returns on these once-in-a-generation investments, enhance durability and multiply the benefits of restoration efforts.
Work in Restoration Landscapes will be collaborative, with each area holding significant potential for cross-boundary partnerships and additional investments from other federal agencies, states, local governments, Tribes, private landowners and partner groups. The BLM's Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring Strategy (AIM) will be used to monitor outcomes and ensure success and durability.
As the nation's largest public lands manager, the BLM has already restored millions of acres of public lands. The agency will continue to coordinate investments from across its program areas -- including fuels management, rangelands, wildlife, forestry, aquatics and recreation -- to more clearly articulate its vision for public lands and better secure the return on restoration investments on behalf of the American people.
Tour the Restoration Landscapes virtually