Going Feral: Bill on Rocks Springs RMP Revision.

Going Feral: Bill on Rocks Springs RMP Revision.:  

Bill on Rocks Springs RMP Revision.

 Very unusual to see a one off bill like this:

H. R. 6085

To prohibit the implementation of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, Wyoming, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 26, 2023

Ms. Hageman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

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A BILL

To prohibit the implementation of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, Wyoming, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RESTRICTION ON DRAFT RMP AND EIS FOR ROCK SPRINGS RMP REVISION, WYOMING.

The Secretary of the Interior may not finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, Wyoming, referred to in the notice of availability titled “Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Rock Springs RMP Revision, Wyoming” published by the Bureau of Land Management on August 18, 2023 (88 Fed. Reg. 56654).

FWIW, a really good look at the plan was featured on Governor Gordon's podcast. The big complaint with the plan (which I don't think is that bad) what that it was sort of dropped on the area by the BLM after people believed that the groups they were working in with the BLM would have an impact on the plan, and didn't appear to.

I'd guess, but don't know, that the chances of a one off bill passing in the current Congress is really small.

Going Feral: Blog Mirror: Ranch owner: Corner crossing would erase billions in private property value

Going Feral: Blog Mirror: Ranch owner: Corner crossing would e...: 

Blog Mirror: Ranch owner: Corner crossing would erase billions in private property value

 My frank reaction is, "so what"?

Ranch owner: Corner crossing would erase billions in private property value

Almost all the land in Wyoming derives from one of the various homestead acts. Those weren't supposed to make people rich.  Indeed, one grandson of a homesteader once commented to me "it was a nice program for poor people.

Going Feral: Blog Mirror: Eric Movar from the Tribune: Rock Springs plan proposal brings commonsense conservation to the Red Desert

Going Feral: Blog Mirror: Eric Movar from the Tribune: Rock Sp...: 

Blog Mirror: Eric Movar from the Tribune: Rock Springs plan proposal brings commonsense conservation to the Red Desert

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.