ShareTrails | Southern Wyoming under attack through the Rock Springs RMP

The Bureau of Land Management has opened public comment for the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan until November 16, 2023. This plan will dictate how 3.7 million acres of land is managed and accessed for decades to come. This area is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.

Three additional alternatives have been created along with the current management (Alternative A). Alternative B which is the most restrictive is the preferred alternative by the BLM. Alternative C allows the most flexibility of management and is the least restrictive. Alternative D is the “compromise” alternative.

The plan proposes creating more than 1.6 million acres as Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC’s). ACEC’s have historically closed off access to other uses and have allowed for extremely restrictive management actions to take place all in the name of “conservation”. ACEC’s are poorly defined and management and allowable uses can vary from area to area. For this reason, any creation of new ACEC’s is problematic.

The map below shows how many areas will likely be off limits if the BLM selects the most restrictive alternative. This is an example of what the 30×30 agenda looks like, and this likely explains why the Wyoming governor and others are opposed to what the BLM is proposing.

There are many areas within the planning area of concern such as Little Mountain which is popular for recreation and the Killpecker Sand Dunes in the heart of the Red Desert.

The maps below show how this area will be transformed to an area that was widely open to public access and outdoor recreation to an area with heavy restrictions and closures.

Current Management

Proposed Management

If you work, hunt, or recreate on these lands, the BLM needs to hear from you before the November 16 Deadline.