House Passes Hageman Amendment to Prohibit Finalization of BLM Rock Springs Draft Resource Management Plan

Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives passed an amendment offered by Rep. Harriet Hageman to their Interior Appropriations bill which prohibits the finalization and implementation of the draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) revision from the Bureau of Land Management that severely restricts grazing, mining, recreation, and other activities on 3.6 million acres in Wyoming.

Congresswoman Hageman stated, “This is one of the largest land grabs we've ever seen. The Rock Springs RMP threatens Wyoming’s recreation, grazing and energy industries. If approved, the Rock Springs RMP would block the use of 2.5 million acres of land for pipelines, power lines, and roads and remove 1.8 million acres from grazing, recreation, and economic development activities. By preventing the implementation of this draft plan and any alternatives proposed, the BLM will be forced to develop a new draft RMP in consultation with state and local stakeholders.

“Perhaps what’s most disheartening about this RMP is the fact that it’s ignored stakeholder input over the past 12 years. This administration has proven time and time again that it wants to decide what’s best for each and every community in every nook and cranny in the United States – they always think they know better than the people most impacted by their foolish decisions.

“We’ve seen this kind of thing happen across state lines, including the Bears Ears designation in Utah and others in Colorado and Arizona. We need to put a stop to this, or our communities will continue to be taken advantage of by the powers that be.

“The alternatives laid out in this plan will destroy Wyoming’s local economy. I am grateful that my colleagues chose to support my amendment which would prevent any funds from going towards finalizing and implementing this monstrosity of a plan.”

A link to Rep. Hageman’s introduction of the amendment can be found here.