By Ann Jantz
Rocket Miner
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

ROCK SPRINGS — Sweetwater County representatives are preparing a response in protest of the Bureau of Land Management’s recently released Rock Springs Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan.

Publication on Aug. 23 of the proposed RMP kicked off a 30-day public protest period. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Sweetwater County Commission decided to schedule a special meeting tentatively by Sept. 20 to give staff time to prepare comments to submit by the deadline.

In its fact sheet, the BLM states the Final EIS and proposed RMP “reflect public comment” as well as cooperating agencies’ proposals which requested a mix of alternatives. In doing so, the mix would then better address land designations and exclusion areas to “better manage and allocate the uses of public lands and resources” and “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for present and future generations.”

After its review of the proposed RMP and hearing from staff, the commissioners believe it does not accurately reflect public comments, nor will it benefit the people who recreate on that land and rely on its natural bounty of minerals and oil and gas to support the economy.

“They’ve called this a balance, they’ve called different things a balance, and the truth of the matter is we have a balance today with the way we use our lands currently,” Commissioner Taylor Jones said.

County Land Use Director Eric Bingham came before the commissioners Tuesday to identify areas of concern with the proposed RMP. He noted that while Sugarloaf and Pine mountains were removed from Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) designation, Steamboat Mountain ACEC increased from 47,280 acres to 439,081 acres. The South Wind River ACEC of 281,104 acres was also created.

The current RMP has 286,470 acres of ACECs, while the proposed RMP has 935,135 acres of ACECs, a 226% increase, which the BLM will use in making management decisions in these areas, according to Bingham.

Bingham asked for instruction from the commissioners about including all the ACECs in the comments. 

“I would be concerned with all of them,” said Commission Chairman Keaton West.

Jones agreed, saying the ACECs were discussed at length with the original task force. “It’s like a slap in the face,” he said.

Commissioner Robb Slaughter also agreed, noting the huge increase in ACECs.

“They’re trying to be very restrictive,” he said.

Additionally, Bingham pointed out the BLM proposed “very large” buffers — 10-mile-wide corridors — for all national historic and scenic trails. He noted this designation affects what development can happen in there, calling the corridors “extensive and capricious.”

“It means additional restrictions,” he said.

Commissioner Mary Thoman called all of the proposed RMP “kind of shocking,” especially the area called the Golden Triangle, a Wyoming Game and Fish designation given to the region between the Big Sandy and Sweetwater rivers, north of Wyoming Highway 28, a large area of land which the BLM has set as an ACEC.

Bingham said the proposed RMP addresses some trona and coal concerns but noted oil and gas “really got hit hard.”

Referring back to the fact sheet, the current management plan closes 15% of the field office to oil and gas development and the draft RMP would have closed 61%. Thoman said the proposed RMP will now close 30% of the field office to old and gas.

“That’s a 15% cut to the county right off the top,” she said.

West said he does not think a lot of people understand the significant impact the proposed RMP will have on Sweetwater County, economically speaking.

Jones said there are some existing leases that have not been drilled east of Highway 191 that are now in the red areas of exclusion.

“All along, one of the things they’ve said is they’re not going to hamper, reduce or eliminate any existing, and that is absolutely not true,” he said, noting current industry is “very respectful of the land” and the proposed RMP paints “a whole different picture.”

Danielle Bettencourt, environmental, public land use and natural resources attorney, also noted the likelihood of existing leases being renewed in these areas is not good.

Bingham also voiced concern with the plans visual resource management, which is divided into classes: Class 1 allows no type of development, Class 2 allows development but it must be hidden, and Class 3 and 4, which are less restrictive in view shed management.

Much of the Farson area is in Class 2, which limits what type of development can happen there, Bingham said, noting his concern with how large the area is.

Bingham, too, spoke about the proposed RMP’s very large expansion of rights of way exclusions, noting county roads go through many of these exclusion areas. It would make road work through these exclusion areas very difficult.

“Are we de facto wilderness areas?” Bingham voiced his concern.

Commissioner Island Richards pointed out access to leased lands would not be able to happen with these exclusions.

Bingham said he also has concern with the BLM’s off-highway vehicle restrictions. Thoman noted the work on this designation has been done but is not yet in the plan. 

Bingham said he wishes the BLM would pull this out of the RMP, calling it “not ready for prime time.”

Before wrapping up, Thoman commended the Sweetwater County team for its hard work and dedication to wading through the myriad of information and making sense of it.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said. 

The proposed RMP and Final EIS, including maps of the ACECs and exclusions areas, can be found on the BLM’s E-Planning website.