More: "As stewards of America's public lands, the Interior Department takes seriously our role in helping bolster landscape resilience in the face of worsening climate impacts," Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. "Today's final rule helps restore balance to our public lands as we continue using the best-available science to restore habitats, guide strategic and responsible development, and sustain our public lands for generations to come."

The rule directs BLM - the nation's largest land manager - to "protect intact landscapes, restore degraded habitat, and make wise management decisions based on science and data." The agency will also be tasked with incorporating land health assessments into its decisions about how lands are used.