McIntosh said it appears the BLM is closing the door on an option to protect lands with "special values" by ditching a rule that Congress can use to do just that. "They're playing games with the whole rule itself," she said.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust and Sierra Club say the proposed rule change is in response to a lawsuit they filed Sept. 29 against Kempthorne for ignoring a resolution from the House Natural Resources Committee to withdraw public land around the Grand Canyon from uranium exploration and claims.

On June 25, the House committee voted 20-2 in favor of a resolution that compelled Kempthorne to withdraw federal land around the Grand Canyon from uranium-mining activities.

"Once again, the Bush administration is trying to internally eliminate important protections for our public lands with minimal public notice and no environmental analysis," Center for Biological Diversity attorney Marc Fink said in a statement.

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