Acting on the BLM's RMP

With the recent extension of the public comment period for the Bureau of Land Management's Resource Management Plan (RMP) draft for the Rock Springs Field Office, discussions about the RMP have continued in full force, with local and state government officials trying to find ways to fight the draft and keep the public informed.

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon recently announced that public meetings will be held in Sweetwater County to help inform and guide recommendations on the RMP.

The Green River meeting will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, November 18 at the Western Wyoming Community College Green River Center. The Rock Springs meeting will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, November 17 at Western Wyoming Community College, room 3650.

These meetings are being organized by the University of Wyoming's Ruckelshaus Institute along with the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, the UW School of Energy Resources, and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association.

"Organizers will provide an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the RMP process, and how to submit comments to the BLM," a press release explained. "This will be followed by an interactive public workshop for the public to share their perspectives with a task force to be appointed by the Governor."

The initial public meetings will focus on the topics of livestock, industry, recreation and tourism, and wildlife and conservation, according to the press release. Facilitators will seek input from participants to determine priorities and opportunities to be addressed by the task force.

"BLM staff are not expected to attend the initial public meetings," the press release explained. "While the facilitators will share information about how individuals can comment directly on the RMP, public statements made at the meetings will not be a part of the BLM's regular comment process. However, information, recommendations, and corrections can be submitted through additional comments from the public to the BLM."

The task force will develop recommendations incorporating public input from the interactive workshops, which they will deliver to the Governor and BLM in January.

"It is clear that the draft Rock Springs RMP is critical for the economy and lifeblood of Southwestern Wyoming," Governor Gordon said. "Significant effort must be put into making the final plan work for the people and industries of Wyoming."

The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners also discussed the RMP draft once again during Tuesday's meeting to share new developments and make sure all the commissioners are on the same page as they move forward "with a united front," according to Chairman Keaton West.

Commissioner Mary Thoman noted that she in encouraging all of the county's component units to submit comments to the BLM since the adoption of the BLM's preferred alternative, Alternative B, which focuses on conservation, would likely mean a decline in funding.

"If the county receives a 20-50% reduction in revenue, what will that do to our outside entities based on their services?" Thoman asked.

Commissioner Island Richards noted that he attended the barbecue hosted by the Greater Little Mountain Coalition to discuss the RMP, as did some of the other commissioners, and he was conflicted about the messaging. While he recognizes that people can disagree, he said he doesn't believe some people understand the damage Alternative B would cause.

"My position stays firm: Alternative B is a disaster for Sweetwater County and Wyoming and I'm committed to fighting it every step of the way," Richards said.

Commissioner Taylor Jones noted he has attended meetings to discuss the RMP and has been frustrated by some of the misinformation that is spreading. He said some people are saying that the RMP wouldn't eliminate or reduce oil and gas and wouldn't limit or restrict recreation and access to public lands.

"It absolutely will," he said, adding that there is information in the draft document to show how it will impact these areas.

"Please understand that this is a very negative impact to not only our recreation in Sweetwater County but also our revenue," Jones said.

The commissioners also discussed the frustration and difficulty of trying to review and comment on all four alternatives presented in the draft since the BLM has said they may pick and choose from all of the alternatives, as Commissioner Thoman pointed out. Thoman also said the cooperators with the BLM have asked to see an administrative draft before the final draft of the RMP is released.

"We want to see the administrative draft before it goes final so we have a clue-in to what may be coming," she said, explaining she believes this is required and has been done with past plans. She also said this will help prepare for potential protests against the plan.

At the state level, lawmakers are already preparing to protest the RMP and looking to put money towards fighting it.

"Wyoming lawmakers want to earmark $50 million to sue the federal government over implementation of national environmental and natural resource laws," Angus M. Thuermer explained, reporting for WyoFile. "Lawmakers added the proposed $50 million appropriation to a draft bill - Federal land use plans-legal actions authorized - that the Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee endorsed Oct. 30. The bill authorizes the Legislature 'to prosecute actions involving the proper administration and interpretation of federal acts.' Lawmakers proposed the measure in part because of dissatisfaction over the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's effort to put conservation on equal footing with resource development in the Rock Springs area of southwest Wyoming."

At the federal level, Representative Harriet Hageman is also working to fight the RMP. She recently "added an amendment to the U.S. House's version of the Department of the Interior Appropriations bill to prohibit the plan's finalization and implementation," as explained by a press release from the Wyoming Outdoor Council and Wyoming Wilderness Association.

These organizations believe that Hageman's actions "would disrupt an ongoing public process as well as Gov. Mark Gordon's recent announcement to convene user groups and the general public to share factual information, find common ground and provide input on the draft plan."

The organizations also expressed the opinion that "the draft RMP presents a forward-thinking approach that ensures Wyoming residents can continue enjoying healthy lands and pass them down to future generations."

"Updating 25-year-old BLM management practices will improve the balance between development and conservation by protecting world-renowned migration corridors for pronghorn and mule deer and safeguarding wild landscapes valued by local communities - while also maintaining sufficient energy development, mining, and recreation opportunities in the region," the press release said. "Disinformation from Wyoming officials regarding the plan's details, including the false assertion that the public would be 'locked out' of areas conserved for wildlife and cultural values, has further distracted from productive discussions and commonsense solutions."

"Wyomingites are fully capable of rolling up their sleeves and doing the work to find common ground on the Rock Springs RMP," Alec Underwood, program director with the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said in the press release.

"This is our chance to speak up and provide the BLM with constructive feedback on how best to manage these lands," added Lauren Marsh, BLM Community Organizer with the Wyoming Wilderness Association.