Governor Mark Gordon is urging the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reconsider its restriction-heavy preferred alternative and deliver a reasonable plan incorporating more of Wyoming’s compromise approach to managing the Rock Springs area. The Governor submitted his comment letter, along with those from numerous State agencies, on the BLM draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) this week.

“No other National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document in recent memory has sparked the type of scrutiny and fervor that this Rock Springs RMP has in our state, and rightfully so,” Governor Gordon wrote. “People representing the full spectrum in Wyoming recognized the flawed nature of this draft RMP. (It) is too important to have its impacts go unexamined.”

The conclusion of this comment period closes this chapter of the RMP process, which began with the draft’s notice on August 18, 2023. While no exact date has been given, the BLM has indicated that the next step– a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – will be prepared before the end of the year.

“Wyoming’s State Agencies have worked diligently over the past decade, over multiple presidential and gubernatorial administrations, to help develop the most scientifically sound, cooperative, and durable policies for use in this draft RMP,” the Governor continued. “For the BLM to achieve an effective RMP and meet my upcoming consistency review with state policies, it is imperative that these comments are meticulously reviewed, seriously considered, and adopted.”

Comments from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, The Wyoming Department of Agriculture, the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments, the Wyoming State Forestry Division, Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office, the Wyoming State Geological Survey, and the Wyoming Energy Authority were all received by the BLM. The Governor expressed his appreciation for the work of State agency staff, task force members and advisors, the University of Wyoming, counties, and the numerous stakeholders who were involved during this comment period.

The Rock Springs RMP Revision project website https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510 will have any updated information from the BLM.