Red Desert deserves better public engagement

Dear Editor,

The Red Desert is home to many Wyoming treasures including desert elk, one of the largest living sand dune systems in the U.S., and the Boar’s Tusk. These treasures are located primarily on public lands managed by the BLM. The Rock Springs BLM is currently drafting a new management plan that will determine the future of a large portion of the Red Desert for the next 20-25 years. The public should be a part of this process, which will determine the future of the Red Desert.

Unfortunately, it has been nearly six years since the public has had an opportunity to give any input or hear any news from the BLM of the future of the Red Desert. Are the concerns of citizens and stakeholders being addressed in the drafting of the management plan? No one knows.

To call this stage a mere draft is also misleading because it diminishes the importance of the stage. The plan drafting is the most important stage because any vital management prescriptions that can be in the final plan must be included in the draft. Additionally, the BLM decides which management directions they will likely implement before the draft is even released for public consideration.

Fortunately, this lack of public engagement can be easily resolved by following the examples of other western BLM field offices. The Rock Springs BLM Field Office should release preliminary alternatives for the draft plan to the public so citizens can provide feedback to the BLM through a public comment period. This is not an uncommon practice as many BLM offices in other states have meaningfully engaged the public by releasing preliminary alternatives. For example, in 2015, the Moab BLM field office released maps that illustrated oil, gas, and potash leasing categories across alternatives and also solicited public input, and the Royal Gorge Field Office plans to release full alternatives and solicit input in 2016 and 2017 for the Eastern Colorado land use plan.

These plans are important documents, and when the public is able to vocalize their values and give input into the management decisions, we not only have a say in the future of Wyoming, but we can demonstrate what good civic engagement should look like.

The Rock Springs BLM Field Office should release preliminary alternatives and open a public comment period so citizens can have a voice in the future of the Red Desert.

Jennie Trefren

Laramie

 

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