Friday, OCTOBER 3, 2025 |
Call it a “mulligan.” The Bureau of Land Management is reopening the amendment process to the 2024 Rock Springs Resource Management Plan after the Biden Administration went off the deep end.
After taking office, President Donald Trump put the RMP on hold while the former head of BLM went to work for radical environmental group.
The lands agency will prepare an associated environmental assessment to review special management designations and evaluate mineral development opportunities across approximately 1.3 million acres of BLM-administered land in Fremont, Sublette, and Sweetwater counties.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon welcomed Thursday’s decision, releasing a statement that said, “I am confident this process will provide opportunity to address drastic flaws without restarting this decade-long effort. I encourage everyone impacted by this RMP to participate and see this plan to its conclusion.”
The amendment responds to Executive Order 14154 and Secretarial Order 3418, both titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which directs federal agencies to reassess policies that may unnecessarily restrict access to domestic energy and mineral resources. The BLM determined that existing mineral restrictions and special management designations within the Rock Springs Field Office require reevaluation under these orders.
The planning area contains twelve Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, five Special Recreation Management Areas, a National Historic Trails corridor, and thirteen Wilderness Study Areas. The BLM will reexamine these designations to determine whether special management is still warranted and where development may be appropriate.
The public scoping period began October 2, and will close in 30 days, or 15-days after an in-person public meeting. While the agency is accepting public comments, BLM is unable to address those comments until the lapse in congressional appropriations ends. The BLM encourages participation from local communities, Tribes, industry, and stakeholders throughout the process.
Public comments will help identify relevant issues and inform the development of alternatives in the environmental assessment. The BLM is also accepting nominations for new Areas of Critical Environmental Concern.
