The Trump Administration Must Not Interfere with the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. - Sierra Club Wyoming strongly condemns the Trump administration's attempt to amendthe Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, which could roll back protections for 1 million acres of public land in Wyoming.

After more than 10 years of planning and extensive feedback from developers, businesses, and the public, the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP) was set to ensure that nearly 3.6 million acres of public land would be managed to protect its wildlife, recreation, and scenic values while allowing the landscape to continue to contribute to our nations energy needs. Today's announcement seeks to undo all of the hard work that went into striking that balance and overrule the will of the public. In fact, the RMP included conservation measures that were supported by 92% of the public comments submitted on the draft plan, plus 85% of the recommendations made by a group of local community members that Gov. Mark Gordon assembled to suggest improvements.

In response, Sierra Club Wyoming Chapter Director Rob Joyce released the following statement:

"BLM's decision to amend the Rock Springs RMP is a short-sighted attempt to undo over a decade of work, and remove critical protections for our wildlife and cultural resources. The plan was a compromise between many different Wyoming communities who have weighed in over the years and, now, before the agency even has time to implement it, we're being asked to weigh in again. It's time to listen to the science and to the public and let the plan live."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.