Anticipation is building for the forthcoming land-use plan for millions of federal acres in southwest Wyoming, and stakeholders are reiterating their desires.It’s been about a year since the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a draft of its resource management plan for 3.6 million acres near Rock Springs.
“There's been a lot of fear,” said Mark Kot, a retired land-use planner for the area. The Rock Springs resident spoke at a recent press conference that was geared toward the conservation-lense on the issue.
That ‘fear’ Kot mentioned was in direct reference to much of the public’s hysteria that followed the draft’s release. It prioritized conservation and limited energy development.
“This plan is not going to shut down oil and gas. I think that’s clear,” Kot said.
He said that’s because much of the high potential oil and gas areas lie outside the acreage included in the plan.
Over the last year, the BLM digested around 35,000 public comments. Many political leaders, including Gov. Mark Gordon, are urging for less emphasis on conservation, with implications of a lawsuit otherwise. The final plan is also contingent on the sale of the Kelly Parcel in Teton County. During the legislature, lawmakers outlined a bill that would allow the sale of the parcel to Grand Teton National Park if the BLM approved the draft management plan as written.
The next iteration of the draft is expected any day now.
“But it's good to see it finally coming to an end,” Kot said. “To prepare – set off a platform – for the future of management of 50 percent of Sweetwater County.”
Other speakers at the recent press conference emphasized their wishes for the agency to still prioritize conservation. They spoke about the unique landscapes and wildlife habitat. Like, the northern Red Desert. It’s home to several major big game migration routes and cultural features, like petroglyphs.
“We need to curtail human-caused habitat disturbances and human-caused light and noise pollution,” said Andrea Orabona, a retired Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologist. “Typically once habitat has been altered by humans, wildlife loses in the end.”
A governor-appointed task force also provided the BLM with recommendations earlier this year. It was made up of members from many different industries and view-points, so consensus was tricky.
“The devil was in the details,” said Speaker of the House and task force member Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) in January. “I think it was easy for people to recognize the importance of the area, and the importance of preserving multiple use on the landscape. The devil is in the details with how would you do that and when you get to specific management prescriptions.”
But, the group did outline recommendations for some specific areas – like prioritizing conservation for the prized hunting area Greater Little Mountain or protecting energy development in the Known Sodium Leasing Area.
The BLM has expressed that the task force’s recommendations will likely be reflected in the next iteration of the plan expected this month. This will still be a draft. Once released, there’s a 30-day protest period and a 60-day review period for the governor’s office. The BLM will take all of that into consideration and then release a final plan.
