ROCK SPRINGS – People have more time to make comments to the Bureau of Land Management’s draft Resource Management Plan for the Rock Springs area. The comment period now ends Jan. 17. 2024.
“A lot of work happens between a draft plan and a final plan, and that work is best informed by people who roll up their sleeves to work together,” Tracy Stone-Manning, Director of the Bureau of Land Management said. “We are committed to doing that work to finalize the final plan.”
The comment period was originally set to end Nov. 16, but a wide range of organizations pushed back against the deadline, claiming the initial 90 days granted does not give residents and stakeholders an adequate chance to understand the different proposals set forth in the RMP. The Rock Springs City, Council, Sweetwater County Commissioners, Wyoming Mining Association, and Gov. Mark Gordon were among those calling for additional time.
Many of the state’s residents have publicly spoken against the BLM’s RMP, specifically its preferred Alternative B, a land management philosophy that would prioritize conservation. Alternative D, which strives for a balanced approached between development and conservation, was the proposal local officials hoped would receive support.
Keaton West, Chairman of the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners, calls the extension welcome news for the county.
“All in all, that’s a win,” he said.
The county originally sought a 120-day extension, but West said the additional 90 days shows the BLM is willing to work with stakeholders. West said the county was initially notified by Gordon’s office about the extension, which also plans to work with the five counties impacted by the RMP. West said the governor’s office plans to review the county’s federal land use guidelines and look for inconsistencies between those guidelines and the RMP’s proposals.
Aside from the resources being offered by Gordon’s office, West said the Coalition of Local Governments is also focused on the RMP. The coalition is a group representing county commissioners and conservation districts in southwestern Wyoming. West said the added time gives everyone involved added breathing room when it comes to drafting comments and highlighting concerns. Gordon also welcomes the extension to the comment period.
“This extension will allow Wyoming citizens additional opportunities for engagement in this important process,” hesaid. “When the preferred alternative was announced, it came as a surprise to many of those who had worked for years on the draft document. That’s because there was a gap of two years during which the cooperating agencies’ meetings on the draft Rock Springs Management Plan did not take place.”
Gordon directed the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute to convene workshops for stakeholders to discuss the proposed alternatives identified in the plan and the BLM’s draft Environmental Impact Statement and RMP. The UW School of Energy Resources and the College of Agriculture will assist in gathering and recording information for these workshops. The BLM will participate in the workshops they’re invited to and additional information on these workshops will be forthcoming.
The BLM says it welcomes public participation to improve its work.
“Public comment periods give us the opportunity to listen to people to make our work stronger,” Andrew Archuleta, the state director of BLM Wyoming, said. “We urge specific feedback and participation over the next several months.”
Residents can learn more about the BLM’s RMP here.
