Eric Galatas, WYOMING NEWS SERVICE – The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is hoping to get out in front of any future “sagebrush rebellions” by putting the reigns of managing public lands into public hands.
Joel Webster, western lands director for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, part of a coalition including the National Wildlife Foundation and Trout Unlimited that has been urging the BLM to reform how activities are managed on federal lands since 2008.
Webster says the new rules would allow the public to decide what happens on lands owned by all Americans.
“It’s a great opportunity to provide that input to the agency before they start the planning process,” says Webster. “Which will ultimately result in better plans but also just more higher level of public satisfaction in how their public lands are managed.”
The BLM is accepting public comments on the proposed rule change until April 25, and will hold a public webinar Wednesday.
Chuck Butterfield, board member with the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, says outdoor recreation is big business in Wyoming, pumping about $4.5 billion into the state’s economy every year and most of it takes place on public lands.
He says the new rules will give hunters and anglers a chance to be stakeholders in the management process.
“With the downturn in the energy industry, they may end up being one of the top one or two contributors to the economy,” says Butterfield. “Wyoming is known for being a recreational mecca.”
He’s encouraging anyone who enjoys hunting, camping, fishing or hiking to get involved before the public comment phase closes.
Butterfield says instead of calling for the takeover of federal lands, this is an opportunity to address real management challenges, and to hold the BLM accountable in the future.