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Sen. Barrasso warns BLM draft plan for Rock Springs could restrict access to 3.5 million acres
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Summary
Sen. Barrasso told a deputy-secretary nominee that a BLM draft resource management plan for the Rock Springs field office would ‘‘block or severely restrict access to over 3 and a half million acres’’ of federal land in southwest Wyoming; the nominee said the RMP is a BLM process, acknowledged local concern and said he would engage if confirmed.
Sen. Barrasso told the committee that an August draft resource management plan from the Bureau of Land Management for the Rock Springs field office would "block or severely restrict access to over 3 and a half million acres of federal land in Southwest Wyoming" and said if finalized the plan would "devastate the livelihoods of the people and the communities" in his state.
He said the governor, the congressional delegation, the state legislature and county commissioners "across the board" strongly oppose the plan and asked what the nominee would do differently if confirmed.
The deputy-secretary nominee said the Rock Springs plan is a BLM RMP process, that he is aware of local concerns and the plan's large geographic scope, and that he would expect input from Wyoming to be reflected in the final plan. "If I'm confirmed, senator, depending on where the plan is, you know, I would welcome if you if you think it's important and if I'm invited to come to Wyoming and talk to folks about how they're feeling about the plan," he said.
Why it matters: Resource management plans set long-term direction for federal land use, including access, grazing, energy development and conservation. Local leaders in Wyoming told the senator they oppose the draft; the committee exchange did not produce a departmental commitment to change the plan's substance, only a promise to engage if the nominee is confirmed.
No formal administrative decision was announced during the hearing.
