CHEYENNE (WNE) — On Thursday, Gov. Mark Gordon provided testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources regarding the Bureau of Land Management’s Conservation and Landscape Health proposed rule and in favor of a bill to withdraw that rule.
According to the BLM, the proposed Public Lands Rule, announced in late March, would provide tools for it to:
. Restore critical wildlife habitat and clean water
. Protect healthy public lands in the face of increasing drought, wildfire and climate impacts
. Ensure responsible development backed by science and data.
Making Wyoming’s case that the proposed rule oversteps the federal agency’s authority while undermining the important role that states play in developing management plans for public lands, Gordon testified: “Let me say, my administration values the relationships we have with Wyoming BLM staff, which is why it seems so boneheaded to spurn valuable, on-the-ground stakeholder knowledge and the ability to work with local partners to craft a useful way forward. Wildlife management is the responsibility and squarely within the authority and purview of the states — not the federal government.”
Following the testimony of Gordon and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, BLM Principal Deputy Director Nada Wolff Culver testified that the BLM is extending public comment for an additional 15 days.
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