The Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) and Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources have both filed formal protests against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final environmental impact statement and proposed resource management plan for the Rock Springs Field Office. The WDA’s primary concern lies in the BLM’s proposed management of livestock exclosures, which they argue will unnecessarily reduce grazing areas and disrupt established practices.

The WDA also criticizes the BLM’s plan for its lack of clarity and scientific backing, particularly concerning the establishment and removal of exclosures and restrictions on salt and mineral placement. The WDA contends that the BLM’s changes to the final environmental impact statement, especially concerning livestock exclosures, lack sufficient analysis and justification. They point to instances where the BLM has expanded exclosure acreages, changed the original intent of these areas, and excluded livestock grazing without providing adequate reasoning or scientific evidence.

The WDA argues that these changes could negatively impact livestock grazing permittees and disrupt established practices without clear benefits to the protected plant species.Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, on the other hand, are primarily concerned about the plan’s potential negative impact on recreation in southwest Wyoming. They argue that the BLM’s use of outdated visitation and economic data fails to adequately forecast the potential impacts of the plan, particularly concerning limitations on off-highway vehicle use.

The agency also criticizes the BLM for not incorporating current recreation trends and goals into its planning process and for its overly restrictive approach to recreation management in certain areas.Both agencies have requested that the BLM re-evaluate its proposed plan, taking into account their concerns and suggestions. The WDA has asked the BLM to reconsider its management of livestock exclosures, while Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources has requested that the BLM update its data and adopt a more balanced approach to recreation management.

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