CASPER, WY – U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both R-Wyo., blasted the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s Rock Springs Draft Resource Management Plan (RPM) it released today.

In the announcement, the BLM stated that over 1.8 million acres of land in Wyoming, managed by the Rock Springs Field Office, would be given special designation as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs).

“The Biden administration continues to attack our Wyoming way of life. The latest hit job from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) aims to take control of 1.8 million acres of land in Wyoming. This blatant land grab completely dismisses practical solutions proposed by local land managers, local agencies and the people who live and work on this land,” said Senator Barrasso. “I encourage everyone to make your voice heard through the public comment period. There is still time for us to force the BLM to turn this outrageous proposal around and strike a balanced approach that puts Wyoming, not Washington, in the driver’s seat.”

“The Biden administration’s proposal to lock up even more federal lands willfully ignores more than a decade of thoughtful systems designed by local experts and Wyoming-based stakeholders at our state’s expense,” said Senator Lummis. “While I am not surprised by this misguided decision, I am disappointed this administration is prioritizing unnecessary red tape over well-designed policies established by our experts on the ground.”

The BLM has opened a 90-day public comment period, closing on November 16, 2023. For those interested in leaving a comment, information can be found at the following link: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/510.

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