M7.7

I chose to examine the Bureau of Land Management which is under the direction of the U.S. Department of the Interior. 

The Bureau of Land Management manages millions of acres of public land in the U.S.They are responsible for the approval of commercial, recreational, and conservation use of public lands. This means they are effectively responsible for a great deal of environmental quality, especially for tribal groups living on public lands. 

In recent years the Bureau of Land Management has faced a lot of backlash for approving certain commercial leases on public lands. People allege that these leases have a direct and indirect impact on the surrounding environment. The impact includes the release of greenhouse emissions as a result of these gas and oil commercial leases. 

The Bureau of Land Management website boasts about being environmentally responsible; however, environmental groups allege that the BLM has a track record of ignoring climate impacts. 

I feel like this is directly correlated to our current administration. Under the current administration, there have been plenty of rollbacks on climate regulations. If the BLM has the power to prioritize commercial interests over the public, then the BLM has the power to directly affect the environmental quality for those who live among it.