June 27, 2023 |
Photo – Marton Ranch – Bigfoot99 file photo
In a Decision of Record released Monday, the Bureau of Land Management renewed its 2022 determination to purchase the 35,669 acre Marton Ranch southwest of Casper.
Governor Mark Gordon forced an additional review of the purchase last year. The supplemental environmental analysis is the result of the governor’s efforts to put the otherwise secretive purchase under public review.
As a result of the governor’s efforts, the supplemental EA was made available for public review and comment on April 21, 2023. It resulted in 351 individual comment submissions. Public comments have been addressed and incorporated into the EA and decision record.
In a statement yesterday, Governor Gordon thanked the agency for “recognizing the need for additional public comment and analysis.”
The governor noted in his statement that 44 of the public comments received during the 21-day submission periods were, in his words, “noted as being substantial.”
The BLM’s decision of record, as well as the public comments, are available at the agency’s e-planning website, https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2018049/510. For more information, contact Mike Robinson at (307) 261-7520.
