Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment, amendment No. 42 to H.R. 8998, which prohibits the finalization of the draft resource management plan, or RMP, revision for the Bureau of Land Management's Rock Springs Field Office. This RMP revision severely restricts grazing, mining, energy production, recreation, and other activities on 3.6 million acres of land in Wyoming. The BLM field districts are required to update their RMPs in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and in 2011, the Rock Springs Field Office started that process. The draft revision that was released for public comment in 2023 has gained national attention for its unprecedented policy shift to prohibit access, management, and use to literally millions of acres of land. The RMP contains four alternatives for the planning area, including alternative A, which amounts to no action; BLM's preferred alternative B, which would have tremendous negative consequences for the State and the Nation; alternative C, which severely restricts recreational activities; and alternative D, which was not viewed favorably by the local community. Unsurprisingly, the BLM chose the plan that Wyoming and the Nation are most opposed to in terms of its preference. In total, under the preferred alternative, about 2.5 million acres would not be available for new rights-of-way.…”