Senator Barrasso Weighs-In on BLM’s Rock Springs Draft Resource Management Plan

We conclude our series today from our interview with U.S. Senator John Barrasso. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter and the Senator discuss the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

On August 18 a 90-day public comment period began for the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Field Office Draft Resource Management Plan and associated Draft Environmental Impact Statement covering 3.6 million acres of public lands and 3.7 million acres of Federal mineral estate in portions of Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta, Sublette and Fremont counties in southwest Wyoming. The comment period closes January 17, 2024.

1.8 million acres of land in Sweetwater County that falls under the RMP and would be given special designation as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern is widely used by hunters, anglers and recreationalists. U.S. Senator John Barrasso called the proposal a blatant land grab that completely dismisses practical solutions proposed by local land managers, local agencies and the people who live and work on the land.

Barrasso talked about the challenge when dealing with BLM land.

When the BLM extended the public comment period in August, they also presented four RMP alternative plans to the public. According to the federal agency, Alternative B, – the BLM preferred alternative – emphasizes conservation of resource values with constraints on resource uses. Relative to all alternatives, Alternative B conserves the most public lands for physical, biological, and cultural resources. You can view the Rock Springs RMP and EIS and submit a comment on the plan here.