SWEETWATER COUNTY – Residents of Sweetwater County upset with the Bureau of Land Management are finding their voices aren’t alone. However, a few of those voices are spreading misinformation.

Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray made a statement Wednesday joining the chorus of officials in criticizing the BLM, commenting on the impacts the agency’s Resource Management Plan (RMP) would have on the area. His statement contained some inaccurate statements regarding the open house Sept. 27.

“Although billed as an ‘open house,’ Wednesday’s meeting did not accept any input or comments from those most deeply affected by the proposed plan and the BLM’s preferred alternative: the public,” Gray said.

The BLM’s meeting did allow people to submit written comments to the agency for its review. The session allowed residents to speak with BLM officials about the agency’s different proposed alternatives for its draft Resource Management Plan. The BLM favors a conservation-based approach for more than three million acres of land overseen by the Rock Springs Field Office. A request for additional comment regarding Gray’s statement and the existence of the public comment table was not returned as of press time.

Gray’s comments weren’t the only piece of misinformation circulating about the meeting. Rock Springs City Councilman, Brent Bettolo, criticized the open house during the Council’s meeting Tuesday night. He said the format the BLM used was underhanded and made a false claim saying the BLM did not allow residents to ask questions.

“The open house at the Holiday Inn and not taking questions from the public was weak at best, if not a little bit underhanded in my opinion,” he said.

When SweetwaterNOW asked Bettolo about his comments, he said he would have preferred the BLM utilize an open meeting format similar to the special meeting the Council hosted regarding the draft RMP Sept. 25, where residents could openly ask questions and give verbal comment about their views on the plan.