Working to protect public lands and wildlife since 1967


Bighorn Basin Resource Management Plan

You have until July 20, 2011, to comment on the draft plan!

Click Here to dig in to the plan and comment online.

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Bighorn Basin

The federal public lands of the Bighorn Basin, located in northwestern and northcentral Wyoming, are managed by the Cody and Worland field offices of the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM. These lands are bordered by the Shoshone and Bighorn National Forests, as well as the Beartooth, Absaroka, Owl Creek, Bridger, and Bighorn Mountains. Much of the BLM land in the basin is also part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Combined, the two offices manage over four million acres of public surface land and federal mineral estate.  Portions of Big Horn, Park, Washakie, and Hot Springs counties lie within their management boundaries.

Uses of this land include traditional oil and gas, coal, and other types of mineral development; livestock grazing; wildlife habitat; and travel, tourism, and recreation. Recreational opportunities abound. One can hunt both small and big game; fish the reservoirs, canyons, lakes, and streams; bike or ride off highway vehicles in the badlands and foothills; and enjoy hiking, boating, and much more. And don’t forget the world-class archaeological, paleontological, and cultural resources that the basin offers.

The management of such a vast expanse of land and its many and varied resources is an enormous responsibility. An appropriate balance between use and protection of these resources is needed, and would help to ensure that current and future generations continue to benefit from this area.  Such effective management cannot be achieved without careful and collaborative planning. Among other things, this means that meaningful public participation is vital.

The Management Plan

The management of the BLM lands of the Bighorn Basin, like all BLM lands, is guided by a document called a resource management plan, or RMP. These plans are typically revised every 15-20 years. They serve as a sort of blue-print for every on-the-ground action and management decision that the BLM will make, until it is time for the plan to be revised again.

Plan Status

The Bighorn Basin RMP is under revision. This revision process began in October of 2008 and should be completed by late 2011. Currently, the BLM is in the process of finishing its draft plan, which will include it’s proposed preferred plan, a spectrum of plan alternatives, and an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the preferred and alternative plans. This draft is slated to be released for a 90-day period of public review and comment in January of 2011. We encourage your participation.

 

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