Lawmaker scrutiny on Tuesday of the Bureau of Land Management’s finalized plan for managing 3.6 million acres of public lands in southwestern Wyoming was more subdued than past events but still reflected state dissatisfaction.
Despite the BLM’s efforts to address the protests of Wyoming officials with the finalized plan, a member of the Legislature’s Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee expressed concern that the state task force’s recommendations were not accurately represented.
Sen. John Kolb (R-Rock Springs), who was part of the panel, acknowledged the work of the task force but criticized the flawed process that did not achieve full consensus.
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Kolb mentioned that one dissenting member disrupted the task force process, leading to recommendations that did not align with the majority’s views.
Governor Mark Gordon also criticized the latest version of the BLM plan, citing selective consideration of local input. He pledged to file a protest to address these concerns.
Protests on the plan will be accepted until Sept. 23.
The Bureau of Land Management released a draft plan in August 2023 to guide the management of public lands in southwestern Wyoming, a plan that had not been updated since 1997.
The plan includes four alternatives for managing various landscapes and ecosystems in the region, encompassing diverse habitats and economic activities.
The conservation-focused “preferred alternative” plan faced backlash for its restrictions on energy extraction and expansions of protected areas, leading to public outcry and misinformation.
In response, Governor Gordon formed a task force to address stakeholder concerns and provide recommendations for the BLM plan. The task force reached consensus on over 100 recommendations.
BLM Wyoming Associate State Director Kris Kirby emphasized the agency’s serious consideration of the task force recommendations in the drafting of the finalized plan.
