The Rock Springs Field Office proposed Resource Management Plan includes a wise balance of land uses for 3.6 million acres of public land, but it’s apparently much too rational for Wyoming’s elected leaders. We have seen a pathetic outpouring of outright lies from Wyoming politicians, hot-headed hyperbolic rants from unhinged exploiters and shameless industry lapdogs.
Their slanted view of public land uses — extract every use from every acre regardless of the damage to the land, its wildlife populations, and public recreation — has held sway for far too long already.
Rep. John Winter, R-Thermopolis, says the proposed plan would lock out hunters, and he’s lying. Fact check: Not only will the plan protect Little Mountain and many other hunting hotspots from decimation by heavy industry, but it will improve habitats and boost big game populations, improving hunting opportunities.
Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, says the plan would “take away the livelihood of hundreds of ranchers,” and he’s lying. The reality is that 99.8% of the planning area would remain rented to ranchers for livestock forage, and the few areas slated for closure haven’t been grazed for years. Sure, there are new designations for areas where enough forage would have to be left behind for elk and mule deer, but that should have been required all along.
U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., says, “This RMP will exclude, prohibit and bar all access, management, and use of vast swaths, vast swaths, of public land,” and she’s lying. In truth, the entire planning area will remain open to public access, every acre of land will continue to be managed, and every acre of land will remain open to multiple types of uses. (Many public uses and benefits have nothing to do with lining some corporation’s pocket, by the way).
Much more in the article.
The author, Eric Movar, is a Western Watersheds Project’s Executive Director and frankly, I'm not a big fan of the Western Watershed Project, which I think tends to be anti agriculture. Here, however, I think they're right on the mark.
