BLM extends deadline, commits to working with state on SW Wyoming plan

The Bureau of Land Management will “work together” with Wyoming and others to finalize a plan for future uses of 3.7 million acres of federal public land in the Rock Springs area, agency Director Tracy Stone-Manning said Thursday.

Stone-Manning extended the deadline for public comments on the agency’s draft Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, draft environmental impact statement and proposed “areas of critical environmental concern” by 60 days to Jan. 17, 2024. The plan seeks “a balance of opportunities” to use and develop public resources “while promoting environmental conservation.” The final plan will guide management of a Connecticut-sized swath of southwest Wyoming for years.