NE Wyoming News

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has officially released its proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Rock Springs Field Office. The plan, initially proposed last year and then withdrawn after severe backlash, would restrict multiple-use activities across nearly one million acres in southwest Wyoming.

Representative Hageman criticized the plan, stating, “The BLM's most recent RMP and preferred alternative does not address the concerns previously identified and will substantially reduce economically productive and environmentally safe land uses such as grazing, energy production, mining, recreation, and other important activities on nearly a million acres in our state. It is essentially a land lockout, converting thousands of acres of federal land in Wyoming from being managed for multiple-use into being set aside for non-use and non-access. This is exactly what the radical environmentalists have been demanding and this administration has been implementing all across the West."

Hageman emphasized the potential harm to local communities and industries due to the impact on mining, livestock, recreation, and energy sectors. She stated that bureaucrats in Washington are following "climate change" directives from the Biden-Harris administration instead of science and fact. While acknowledging that some concerns voiced last year were addressed by the BLM, she argued that the policy remains reckless.

“I will continue to fight the BLM’s efforts to close down our legacy industries in Wyoming,” Hageman said. She noted that she had submitted comments on the plan through the agency’s online portal and sent a letter to BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning demanding answers on how the agency reached its decision. Additionally, she mentioned filing legislation and amendments to House appropriations bills aimed at blocking implementation of the RMP.

In August 2023, the BLM Rock Springs Field Office published its proposed RMP and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), outlining management strategies for 3.6 million acres of surface estate and mineral rights across five Wyoming counties over the next decade. The plan offered four management alternatives:

- Alternative A: No changes to current management.

- Alternative B: Prioritizes conservation activities but blocks public access for various purposes.

- Alternative C: Emphasizes resource access for energy development but restricts recreational activities.

- Alternative D: Balances Alternatives B and C but restricts mining and drilling activities.

The newly proposed RMP combines priorities from Alternatives B and D, significantly impacting existing leases on public lands for activities such as grazing, mining, drilling, recreation, among others. The original Draft EIS adopted Alternative B as its preferred course of action but faced criticism for blocking use of 2.5 million acres of land for infrastructure projects.

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Contact: Chris Berardi, Sr. Advisor/Communications Director