Saving sage grouse

On Thursday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Wyoming Governor Matt Mead announced the final approval of a comprehensive management plan for public lands in central Wyoming. The Lander Resource Management Plan (RMP) will provide direction for managing 2.4 million acres of BLM-administered surface land and 2.8 million acres of BLM-administered sub-surface mineral estate.

County Commissioners in Fremont, Natrona, Hot Springs, Carbon, and Sweetwater Counties have been involved in the development of the plan as cooperating agencies

The RMP is the first of its kind to address management of important greater sage grouse habitat. The State of Wyoming, the Wyoming County Commissioners Association (WCCA), and many other state organizations have taken the task of protecting sage-grouse seriously, and actively engaged with the BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to draft a plan all parties can accept. The Lander plan proactively adopts policies and measures that are designed to minimize disturbance in key habitats, while providing certainty for economic development.

“Today is the culmination of many years of hard work by County Commissioners, the BLM, the State of Wyoming and many other groups with a vested interest in maintaining multiple use of our public lands. We hope that the success of the Lander RMP will be a benefit to other groups working on reviewing or developing similar plans across the West,” Fremont County Commission Chairman Doug Thompson said.

The Lander resource management plan and Record of Decision are available at the Lander BLM Field Office and on the project website: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/lander.htrnl. The BLM will soon announce dates for open houses that will provide additional information regarding the plan and how it will be implemented.