October 22, 2023 — Press Release/WyoNews Staff
Over the weekend, Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (Republican) released a statement on the Bureau of Land Management Resource Management Plan.
Here is her full statement:
This past Monday, I formally voiced my strong opposition to the disastrous and misguided Resource Management Plan for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Rock Springs Field Office. Each of the BLM’s proposed alternatives (except perhaps the no-action alternative) will have numerous negative impacts on our state, industries, businesses, and local communities, with their preferred “Alternative B” being the most destructive.  The BLM’s preferred alternative would cut off 2.5 million acres from access, development, and use, and block 1.8 million acres from any potential economic development activities. Thousands of miles of roads and routes will be closed to all traffic, fossil fuels and critical minerals will go untapped, and Wyoming’s energy, mining, ranching, hunting and fishing, and recreation industries will suffer. It is clear that this plan is not workable and will cause greater harm than good; that is why I have formally asked BLM Director Stone-Manning to withdraw the RMP and start over. While it is unlikely that she will make this sensible decision, it is important that every effort possible be made to obtain a plan that will actually provide a roadmap for properly managing our resources, not blocking our ability to access and use them to meet the needs of the American people.  Thankfully, the BLM has listened to the multitude of voices in Wyoming and extended the public comment period for the draft RMP until January 17, 2024. I highly encourage you to review the RMP and provide your comments via the link below. In the event that the BLM eventually decides to adopt and implement Alternative B, we must encourage our state leaders to fight back by filing a legal challenge to this wrongheaded and destructive approach to land and resource management. Alternative B has never received the “hard look” mandated by NEPA, should never have been considered as a viable or legitimate RMP for the Rock Springs District, and is contrary to the BLM’s own legal authorization.  |
