Montana Gov. Steve Bullock unveiled a multi-pronged plan Friday that he said would protect public land from exploitation, expand access and fight climate change.

Bullock, among the Democratic presidential hopefuls running in 2020, told reporters in a telephone news conference that he was one of the only candidates proposing a plan for public land. His campaign called the plan "the first of Bullock’s Great Equalizers," part of a series of policy initiatives.

“I know those public lands are essential to Montanans' everyday life and that’s why I developed an actual (ecoplan) to preserve these lands and make them that much more accessible to all Americans,” he said.

He said public land represents a fundamental part of what it means to be an American. He accused the Trump administration of “time and time again” trying to exploit public land and reduce access.

“As president I will do more than reverse that trend, I will protect and expand access and call on carbon neutrality for public land by 2030,” Bullock said, adding the goals were more than good stewardship and climate action. He said they represent opportunities for economic growth in rural areas.

He said he would make departments of interior and agriculture to work together and make public land net zero emissions by 2030.

“I think it’s part of certainly our economy, it’s part of our heritage, it’s part of something that no matter whether you live in Manhattan, N.Y., Manhattan, Kan. Or Manhattan, Mont., we can all be so pleased with that we own these lands equally,” Bullock said, adding the next president needs to do more than reversing actions of the Trump administration and look at key economic and environmental drivers.

His plan calls for him to direct the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) "to enhance, not diminish," public land.

He said issues the plan focuses on include protecting access, reversing Trump administration rollbacks of national monuments -- such as Bears Ears National Monument -- climate change, and its assault on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and, work through the $21 billion maintenance backlog on Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service land.

It also looks at fully financing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, allowing Native American tribes to work with the Interior Department in federal land management and supporting clean energy projects on public land.

Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or pdrake@greatfallstribune.com. To support his work, subscribe today and get a special offer.

See for yourself

Read the public land plan at https://stevebullock.com/public-lands/