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Commissioners recap WCCA winter meeting, consider joining Wyoming250 planning and ratify BLM protest letter
Summary
Hot Springs County commissioners summarized the WCCA winter meeting in Buffalo, discussed forming or joining a Wyoming250 task force to access planning funds, heard about Public Surplus fundraising, and ratified a time‑sensitive protest letter to the BLM's Greater Sage‑Grouse RMP amendment/EIS.
Hot Springs County commissioners used their meeting to report out from the Wyoming County Commissioners Association winter meeting in Buffalo and to consider local participation in statewide initiatives.
Chair reported that Randall Luthy, the governor's policy director, discussed a forthcoming supplemental budget and that Sandy Houston, chair of the House Travel and Cultural Resources committee, described wyoming250.com and urged counties to form task forces and consider signing a governor‑backed resolution to access planning funds for the state's 250th anniversary events. Commissioner (Speaker 2) moved "your signature on a resolution, establishing the Hot Springs County semi centennial planning group," and recommended a $1,000 seed allocation from commissioners' budgets to support initial planning; the board agreed and the motion passed by voice vote.
Commissioners also described WCCA panels on NEPA and BLM coordination, emergency medical services funding and volunteer shortages, and other county concerns. Chair recounted a public‑surplus presentation by Jacob Oldway that highlighted how counties can sell surplus items online to generate modest revenue for the WCCA. The board noted that WCCA recommended legal and technical support for counties engaged in federal‑lands reviews.
Separately, the county ratified a previously submitted protest letter to the BLM Greater Sage‑Grouse Resource Management Plan amendment/EIS, citing procedural and NEPA concerns; the letter had been filed to meet a deadline and staff (Connie) assisted in preparing it. Commissioner (Speaker 3) moved to ratify the signature on the letter and the motion passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: joining a Wyoming250 task force could make Hot Springs County eligible for planning funds and seed grants; ratifying the BLM protest letter preserves the county's procedural objections to the federal review process and signals local engagement on land‑use planning.
The commissioners also reported on WCCA leadership changes and awards: they noted the election of Natalia Bakker as WCCA chair and the association's annual awards, which commissioners said help raise county visibility and access to legislative conversations.
Next steps: staff will circulate the WCCA resolution and prepare details on the proposed $1,000 seed money for the county's semi‑centennial planning group.
