Political Quotes

“Today, I rise in support of my amendment, which prohibits the BLM from finalizing its draft Rock Springs resource management plan, the purpose of which is to severely restrict livestock grazing, mining, energy development, recreation, and other activities on 3.6 million acres of land in southwestern Wyoming. The BLM is required to update its resource management plans approximately every 10 years. The Rock Springs field office began the process of updating its own plan in 2011 in accordance with FLPMA. The proposed RMP contains four alternatives for the planning area, including alternative A, which keeps the current management plan in place; the BLM's preferred plan, alternative B, which would have tremendous negative consequences for Wyoming and the Nation as a whole; alternative C, which severely restricts recreational activities; and alternative D, which provides a better balance between various uses but still substantially impacts the activities of key contributors to Wyoming's economy, such as our trona mining and existing oil and gas operations. Contrary to the very purpose of the BLM, it has chosen the most restrictive, the most draconian, and the least scientifically defensible plan--the one that Wyomingites are the most opposed to--as its preference, that being alternative B. In total, under BLM's preferred alternative B, about 2.5 million acres would not be available for new rights-of-way.…”