ROCK SPRINGS – More than 163,000 acres of land overseen by the Bureau of Reclamation may get turned over to the Bureau of Land Management after both agencies signed a joint environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact Monday.

According to the BLM, the documents complete the agencies’ review through the National Environmental Policy Act and will involve 163,230 acres of land that would be transferred from the BOR to the BLM near Seedskadee through the revocation of a land withdrawal. The land was originally withdrawn from BLM administration for what became the BOR’s Seedskadee Project, with the BOR now believing the land is no longer needed for the project. Though the BOR has jurisdiction over the lands, the BLM has managed the area through agreements with the BOR for more than 40 years.

The BLM says the recreational opportunities in the area would “remain largely unchanged” if the revocation takes place, with popular spots like Fontenelle Creek, Slate Creek and Weeping Rock campgrounds being included in the lands, The BLM will use land plans from the Rock Springs, Pinedale, and Kemmerer field offices to manage recreation in the area if it takes over jurisdiction.

The revocation has not happened yet. A Public Land Order approved by the Department of the Interior would initiate the revocation. The BLM will now complete a suitability determination and prepare the Public Land Order for the Department of the Interior’s consideration.