November 7, 2023 |
Photo – Bureau of Land Management sign – Bigfoot99 file photo
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon continues to push back on a Bureau of Land Management Draft Resource Plan to severely reduce recreational and ranching use of public lands in Sweetwater County.
The Governor on Monday invited the public to attend meetings in Rock Springs, Green River and Farson on November 17 and 18 on the issue.
Several state groups are organizing the meeting to provide an overview of how to respond to the process, using the specialized process federal agencies such as the BLM use, in the public vetting process. 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 will provide an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act known as NEPA.
Discussions will also focus on the NEPA process and how to submit comments to the BLM using the available federal process.
The informational portion of the meetings will be followed with an interactive workshop for the public to share their perspectives with a task force to be appointed by the Governor.
Governor Gordon believes that the BLM underestimated the amount of negative public response it would receive. The agency chose a preferred alternative that severely restricts use of public lands in Sweetwater County. Speaking to Bigfoot 99 last week, Governor Gordon said federal officials miscalculated, but was unsure how far they would back down from their radical, hardline position.
The Governor said that the draft Rock Springs RMP is critical for the lifeblood and economy of Southwestern Wyoming. The Governor added that making the final plan work for the people and industries of Sweetwater County will take a significant effort.
BLM staff are not expected to attend the initial public meetings. 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.
Information regarding meeting times and location will be updated on the Ruckelshaus Institute’s project’s website, uwyo.edu/haub/ruckelshaus-institute/rmp-meetings.html.
The site will provide background information and questions given to the public in attendance at the meetings. Those who are not able to attend one of the meetings may contribute on the website.
Reacting to the public outcry over its limited use preferred choice, the BLM extended the Rock Springs RMP comment deadline to January 17, 2024.
