Plans for the future of public lands in Southwest Wyoming continue to be debated as the Bureau of Land Management's proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Rock Springs Field Office goes through some of the final phases of the review process before the BLM's final decision.
"Since the BLM announced their draft RMP back in August of 2023, Wyoming's State Agencies, counties, industries, and stakeholders have all worked tirelessly to wrangle this document into a workable, legal, and durable land management plan," Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said. "There still remains a considerable distance to cover to achieve this before the BLM makes its final decision."
Last Tuesday, October 22, Governor Gordon submitted his Governor's Consistency Review on the RMP Revision, which he used as a final opportunity to ask the BLM to make changes to the RMP.
The Governor had 60 days to complete and submit his review following the BLM's release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). State agencies and organizations, including Sweetwater County, previously submitted protest letters following a 30-day window after the FEIS was released. The Governor's Consistency Review is the final input from the State of Wyoming before the BLM makes their final changes and signs a Record of Decision (ROD), a press release from the governor's office explained.
"Following a careful review, I firmly believe that the BLM's work here is inconsistent with existing federal and state laws, as well as county policies," Gordon said of the proposed RMP. "It appears to be driven by a national political agenda, not the cooperative process between states, counties and the federal government envisioned in the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA). Moving from an untenable to an unworkable decision does not make their decision any more consistent."
The Governor's Consistency Review gives the governor the opportunity to identify parts of the proposed RMP that are "inconsistent with state or local plans, policies, or programs," the introduction to the consistency review explains, and it can be used to "identify inconsistencies with federal law, regulations, and policies." Governor Gordon pointed out in his introduction that the BLM is obligated to adopt land use plans that are consistent with federal law and policies, and that the "BLM is required to accept the Governor's recommendations if they provide for a reasonable balance between the national interest and the State's interest."
In the introduction to the Consistency Review, Governor Gordon explained the ways in which the BLM has deviated from standard procedures, been unclear about plans described in the RMP, and conflicted with other mandates and laws within the proposed actions.
"The importance of the contents and implications of this document cannot be overstated," the Consistency Review states. "The health of Southwestern Wyoming's economy, natural resources, and wildlife will be best served by durable and broadly supported land management policies. That is why it is so important for the Bureau to respect this Consistency Review and make the appropriate changes at this point in the process, before the RMP becomes final."
The majority of the Consistency Review specifically addresses, in detail, the topics of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), the BLM's proposed withdrawal plans, the RMP's inconsistency with county land use plans, and the BLM's failure to work with cooperating agencies.
The end of the Consistency Review gives a list of recommendations and proposed actions, which includes rescinding improper ACECs, scaling back corridors to match the management of neighboring field offices, removing certain restrictions and stipulations from areas like the checkerboard, and conducting an analysis of updated land use plans for multiple affected counties.
"The proposed RMP for the Rock Springs Field Office is plagued with procedural deficiencies," the Consistency Review concludes. "Before BLM proceeds with a final decision, it must rectify those flaws. At minimum, BLM must disclose its proposed RMP language and solicit additional public comment and input from the State and local governments. BLM must also consider the cumulative impact of its special designations and update its analysis to be consistent with federal, state, and local laws. Finally, BLM must resubmit to public comment the Governor's proposal of considering alternatives of more limited ACECs and an alternative that considers opening more areas to OHV use."
After submitting his Consistency Review, Governor Gordon said the review "provides the blueprint for the BLM to finally deliver a RMP that most stakeholders can live with."
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), who is a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, thanked Governor Gordon for his work on addressing the RMP after the governor submitted his Consistency Review.
"The Biden-Harris Rock Springs Resource Management Plan remains unacceptable," Barrasso said. "The people of Wyoming depend on federal lands to make a living, provide for our children and communities, and grow our economy. We and the rest of America need access to the oil, natural gas, trona, and other minerals in this area of the state. The final plan must not block access to these important resources."
The BLM's Record of Decision on the RMP is expected before the end of the year.
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