Governor Gordon submitted his appeal of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) response to his Governor’s Consistency Review on the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP) Revision. This is the final National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) input from the State of Wyoming before the BLM makes their final changes and signs a Record of Decision (ROD). Governor Gordon issued the following statement: 

“The BLM’s perfunctory response to the Governor’s Consistency Review showed their final hand.  We were left with little choice but to appeal their response. It is our hope the BLM will consider our arguments carefully. 

With this appeal, BLM has another opportunity to make sensible, multiple-use based decisions in the RMP.  The Biden-Harris Administration has always been more concerned about pushing out an agenda-driven document to make a political point before leaving office, rather than collaborating with the State, counties, and locals on responsible and durable land management policy. Rest assured, Wyoming will consider every option available to the State, and we look forward to a Republican Congress and President Trump bringing some much-needed balance to resource management.

I thank Attorney General Hill and her staff for their efforts. Their work has put Wyoming in the best possible position to continue the fight and call out the BLM wherever they have shirked their NEPA responsibilities during this process.”

Governor Gordon had 60-days to complete and submit his Consistency Review to the BLM State Director following the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and a further 30-days upon receipt to appeal the State Director’s response to BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. State Agencies previously submitted their protest letters following a 30-day window. The ROD is still expected from the BLM before the change in presidential administrations. The Governor’s Consistency Review Response Appeal may be accessed here.