A task force appointed by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) released their final report of more than 100 recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the Rock Springs draft Resource Management Plan (RMP).
In response to public outcry over BLM’s preferred alternative of favoring resource values conservation, Gordon assembled a task force of 11 members representing stakeholders in the state. The task force was focused on developing recommendations for revising the draft RMP to meet the needs of the state’s diverse interests.
“Wyoming has a history of convening diverse stakeholder task force processes to find agreement around contentious natural resource issues in the state,” Gordon said in a statement. “This particular effort was initiated out of necessity. It was critical we amplified the public’s involvement in this important BLM planning document and shared with BLM how Wyoming, through collaboration, creates durable and quality land management policy.”
The task force expedited the collaborative process to make its recommendations before the public comment period expired Jan. 17. They met several times in person, with follow-ups online between November 2023 and January 2024, to devise 24 agreements in principle, providing a comprehensive discussion of vital issues and over 100 management prescriptions that concentrated on specific actions tied to one of the four RMP alternatives.
Some of the key agreements include:
• The task force advocated for the management of current use, industrial development, recreation, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat and open spaces within the BLM’s Rock Springs Field Office (RSFO) to achieve a balance between natural resources and a thriving economy for southwest Wyoming.
• The task force acknowledged the economic, cultural and biological significance of robust and plentiful wildlife populations. Consequently, the RSFO should enact management measures to promote thriving and diverse wildlife populations and, when needed, contribute to the restoration of native habitats, they said.
• Maintain existing livestock grazing permits and authorized annual use throughout the RSFO, ensuring adherence to Wyoming Land Health Standards. Preserve current authorities without imposing limitations on authorizing new range improvements, maintaining existing enhancements and conducting predator control activities to safeguard livestock.
• The task force has significant apprehension about the impact of large-scale wind and solar utility projects on public lands. Concerns encompass obstructed viewsheds, habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, reduction of acreage for other purposes and restricted access.
• No management action should lead to a widespread prohibition or avoidance of the responsible leasing and development of sodium minerals (trona/soda ash) within the Known Sodium Leasing Area, encompassing considerations of rights-of-way, trails, water, air, wildlife and raptors.
• Ensure the sustained capacity of local communities and visitors to utilize and appreciate the wildlife and ecological attributes of landscapes within the RSFO. This involves fostering robust wildlife, aquatic and plant communities by conserving the intact ecosystems, landscapes and water sources crucial for their well-being. The areas mentioned for conservation by the task force included the Greater Little Mountain Area, the Northern Red Desert (Jack Morrow Hills and South Pass Area) and the Big Sandy Foothills.
• The task force acknowledges the crucial role of rights-of-way on public lands, emphasizing their direct impact on every acre within the RSFO, including public, state and private lands. It recommends a balanced approach in designating rights-of-way to support continued economic development activities vital for local communities while recognizing their significance in enhancing residents’ recreational experiences.
The task force proposes that eligible but undesignated trails within the checkerboard, except the 1850 Cherokee Trail under the National Park Service study, should have no rights-of-way exclusion, maintaining a one-quarter-mile protective setback on either side of contributing trail sections.
Draft RMP
In August, the RSFO released a draft RMP after determining the 1997 Green River RMP needed revision as new data became available along with multiple RMP amendments and records of decision.
The draft RMP covers a multitude of uses in the approximately 3.6 million acres of BLM lands and 3.7 million acres of mineral lands in five counties in southwestern Wyoming.
The draft provides four alternatives differing in degree of preservation and multiple uses. BLM’s preferred alternative (Alternative B) conserves the most area for physical, biological and cultural resources. Alternative B would allocate approximately 1.6 million acres as areas of critical environmental concern (ACEC), close off 5 million acres for coal and shale development and over 8,000 acres for livestock grazing. Livestock use would be permitted on a case-by-case basis as long as the allotments meet Wyoming Land Health Standards.
The other alternatives considered are the “No action” alternative continuing with the 1997 Green River RMP, Alternative C emphasizing development with less restriction on preservation, and Alternative D combining elements of BLM’s preferred alternative and Alternative C.
The release of the RMP created an uproar, with lawmakers calling it an effort by the Biden administration to lock up more federal land and ignore the previous work of stakeholders.
According to WyoFile, a typo and other misinformation also caused concern from recreationists who stated the designation of ACEC would restrict access.
“One significant area of misinformation has revolved around access to our public lands,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning told WyoFile. “For example, there have been rumors about no longer being able to walk your dog on public lands, roads closing, and hunting no longer being allowed. None of this is true and we are taking every opportunity to separate fact from fiction.”
Next steps
Despite deliberating on numerous topics, the time constraints and the requirement for consensus resulted in some issues not being addressed in the final report.
The recommendations were presented to Stone-Manning and Gordon at the final meeting in Rock Springs on Jan. 5.
According to WyoFile, Stone-Manning stands by the draft RMP, stating the agency believes the plan has a lot of shared values and objectives, achieving a balance between conservation and multiple uses.
“We look forward to carefully considering (the task force’s) thoughts and the public’s comments as we finalize the plan,” Stone-Manning said. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
