WYOMING – Gov. Mark Gordon invites the public to attend meetings Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Rock Springs Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP). These meetings are being organized by the University of Wyoming’s Ruckelshaus Institute along with the UW College of Agriculture, Life Sciences, and Natural Resources, the UW School of Energy Resources and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association.

Public meetings will be held in Rock Springs on Nov. 17 and Green River and Farson on Nov. 18. Organizers will provide an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the RMP process and how to submit comments to the BLM. This will be followed by an interactive public workshop for the public to share their perspectives with a task force to be appointed by the governor.

Nov. 17 — Rock Springs, Wyoming

Western Wyoming Community College, Room 3650; 2500 College Dr., Rock Springs, WY 82901. Park in the south lot, enter the Wellness Center through Door #5, go past the pool and up the stairs. Focus topics: livestock / industry, 2-4 p.m. From 5-7 p.m., focus topics: recreation and tourism / wildlife and conservation.

Nov. 18 — Green River, Wyoming. Western Wyoming Community College Green River Center, JWP (John Wesley Powell) Room 206, 1 College Way, Green River, WY 82935. All topics with breakout groups, 9-11 a.m.

Nov. 18 — Farson, Wyoming

Eden Valley Community Center, 4039 US-191, Farson, WY 82932. All topics with breakout groups, 2-4 p.m.,

These initial public meetings will inform a governor-appointed stakeholder task force, which will develop recommendations to deliver to the governor and BLM in January. Task force members will attend these public meetings to hear directly from the public.

“It is clear that the draft Rock Springs RMP is critical for the economy and lifeblood of Southwestern Wyoming,” Gov. Gordon said. “Significant effort must be put into making the final plan work for the people and industries of Wyoming.”

The initial public meetings are facilitated by the Ruckelshaus Institute, UW Extension, and UW School of Energy Resources and will focus on the topics of livestock; industry; recreation and tourism; and wildlife and conservation. Facilitators will seek input from participants to determine priorities and opportunities to be addressed by the task force. The public is invited to participate in one or all of the meetings. Task force members will be at the meetings to hear directly from the public.

BLM staff are not expected to attend the initial public meetings. While the facilitators will share information about how individuals can comment directly on the RMP, public statements made at the meetings will not be a part of the BLM’s regular comment process. However, information, recommendations, and corrections can be submitted through additional comments from the public to the BLM. 

Background information and questions given to the public will be at the Ruckelshaus Institute’s project’s website, uwyo.edu/haub/ruckelshaus-institute/rmp-meetings.html. Those unable to attend one of the meetings may contribute on the website. 

These initial public meetings will inform a governor-appointed stakeholder task force composed of leaders of various user groups including recreation, industry, conservation, agriculture, local governments and others. The task force will develop recommendations incorporating public input from the interactive workshops, which they will deliver to the governor and BLM in January. 

The BLM extended the Rock Springs RMP comment deadline to Jan. 17, 2024. The draft RMP and information on how to comment are at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/13853/51.