100+ Groups Sign on to Citizens' Red Desert Protection Alternative

by Mac Blewer

On September 27, more than 100 organizations and businesses presented the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt with a Citizens' Red Desert Protection Alternative to the BLM's Red Desert Draft Environmental Impact Statement (the "Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan"). Citizens' Protection Alternative supporters include WOC, Biodiversity Associates, the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Cultural Center, the Endangered Species Coalition, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, the Northwest Resource Council, the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, World Wildlife Fund, Wyoming Audubon, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and scores of other organizations, businesses, ranchers and outfitters.

The Citizens' Alternative calls for the BLM to adopt a final management plan for the Red Desert that will ensure the future protection of its wildlife and numerous historical and cultural sites, while still allowing for sustainable grazing, responsible ORV use, hunting and recreation. Our alternative calls for the buy-out or trade of oil and gas leases and for a halt to future oil and gas drilling and large-scale mining operations in the 600,000-acre Jack Morrow Hills Study Area of the Red Desert.

In addition, the Citizens' Alternative calls for the entire study area to be designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, ACECs are defined as areas of land where special management attention is required to protect important historic, cultural and scenic values and wildlife.

"Over 90% of our BLM land in Wyoming is open to leasing and mineral extraction-17 million out of 18 million acres," notes WOC executive director Dan Heilig. "We are simply asking that a 600,000-acre portion of our magnificent landscape be set aside from the sprawling web of pipelines and waste pits that have consumed much of our state's land. We want people to continue enjoying recreation opportunities throughout the region, free from the restraints and confines of oil and gas development. We hope the BLM will listen to the people of Wyoming and protect our desert."

We will continue to work with the BLM and the Department of the Interior to craft a Final Management Plan that is legally defensible and ensures the protection of this priceless national treasure.

As we go to press, the BLM has received more than 12,000 public comments on its draft Environmental Impact Statement, of which 93% support the Citizens' Alternative. Thanks to the dedication of our many volunteers, friends and allies, ensuring lasting protection for the Red Desert may soon become a reality!