PROTECT THE RED DESERT: ROCK SPRINGS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
Wyoming’s Red Desert is a land of shifting sand dunes, labyrinthine badlands, and towering buttes.
Often described as the largest unfenced area in the Lower 48, this rugged and wild symbol of Wyoming is home to awe-inspiring gatherings of Greater sage-grouse and herds of mule deer, elk, and pronghorn. This culturally significant landscape is vital for sustaining Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge. Remote, red-streaked buttes invite solace and reflection.
Now, with the release of the draft Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, we have an extraordinary opportunity to secure lasting protections for this diverse and rugged landscape — and your voice can make a difference.
EVERY VOICE MATTERS
The future of conservation in the Red Desert depends on your voice and our collective action. When you submit a comment during the Bureau of Land Management’s public comment period, you can help shape the management of this one-of-a-kind place over the coming decades.
Will you please share why protecting the Red Desert’s wildlife, cultural values, recreation opportunities, or wide-open spaces matters to you?
Personalized comments are always best, so feel free to add to or modify the auto-filled message below.
Deadline: Jan. 17
WHAT’S the rock springs RMP?
Developed by the Bureau of Land Management, a Resource Management Plan is a blueprint for the management of public lands. The RMP for the Rock Springs planning area encompasses 3.6 million acres of federal land, including portions of Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta, Sublette and Fremont counties in Wyoming.
The current RMP for the Rock Springs planning area was published in 1997, and a new plan is long overdue. After much anticipation, the agency issued a new draft on August 17, 2023. That kicked off a 90-day comment period — a time for citizens, local governments, and other stakeholders to read the plan, voice their concerns, and make suggestions for revision.
Once the public comment period closes on Jan. 17, the BLM will consider comments before finalizing the plan. Afterwards, the RMP will dictate how much of the Northern Red Desert, Big Sandy Foothills, Adobe Town, and more are managed for at least the next 15–20 years.
HOW TO SUPPORT THE RMP’S CONSERVATION MEASURES
Because of its extraordinary wildlife, cultural, and recreation values, we are certain the Northern Red Desert deserves the strongest protections. In particular, we’re supporting conservation measures in the new RMP that will:
- Protect high-quality habitat for Greater sage-grouse and all our treasured wildlife species.
- Maintain and expand closures for oil and gas development to fully protect winter range and migration corridors for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk herds.
- Preserve significant cultural and historical resources and protect Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge.
- Ensure unparalleled opportunities for hiking, camping, hunting, biking, and other recreational activities now and for generations to come.
