County lays out stance on BLM plan

The Crook County Commission has submitted comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s plans to revise its resource management plan (RMP) for northeast Wyoming.

Pointing out that the county needs its natural resources to survive economically, the commission’s letter urges the federal agency to be mindful of the priorities laid out in the Crook County Natural Resource Management Plan (NRMP), which was adopted at the end of 2020.

“Crook County’s economic viability is highly dependent on the availability and utilization of natural resources,” states the letter.

“Directly or indirectly, most of the people employed in Crook County depend on oil and gas leasing and development, mining in the form of rock and gravel quarries and related service industries, ranching and farming, recreation and other activities related to the availability of natural resources. This Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan amendment will have a significant impact on our county.”

Approximately 15% of Crook County’s land is federally owned, and a third of that belongs to the BLM. The county uses its NRMP, says the letter, “to represent the vital interests of the county in federal natural resource planning efforts.”

Checkerboard Patterns

The comments support the BLM pursuing future land exchanges and disposals that could improve public access and reduce the “checkerboard pattern” of land ownership that can lead to landlocked parcels.

“Several land exchanges between private and state lands have occurred within Crook County in recent years, which has improved public access to some areas,” the letter states.

“…There are some intermingled ownership lands, areas where land ownership is intermingled between two or more owners (often private land and public land) that results in a checkerboard pattern. Intermingled ownership lands can create problems for access, ecological management and unintended consequences to private, state and public lands.”

The letter urges the BLM to pursue mutually beneficial land exchanges and complete them in a timely and cost-efficient manner, placing priority on consolidation of ownership type and on areas where there may be resource or management conflicts between federal managers and the neighboring landowners.

The county asks that voluntary land exchanges be pursued as a primary way to encourage access to landlocked federal lands, as opposed to the use of eminent domain.

Special Management Areas

At this time, there are no special designations or special management areas on BLM lands in Crook County. However, according to the letter, the BLM is analyzing a proposed 9500-acre Area of Critical and Environmental Concern (ACEC) in the northwest called the Little Missouri Antelope Trap.

According to the BLM’s notice of intent in the Federal Register, this area contains, “rare and sensitive archaeological resources and religious and cultural values to Native American Tribes.”

“The county has been aware of this area for decades and is strongly opposed to an ACEC designation,” states the commission’s letter. “Any special designation will attract more attention by the public, which will impact the surrounding private landowners due to access to the federal parcel.”

BLM Planning Efforts

The county commissioners oppose two ongoing BLM planning efforts in the letter. The first, “America the Beautiful”, otherwise known as the 30 x 30 Plan, is a national goal to conserve at least 30% of U.S. lands and freshwater by 2030.

The county instead urges the BLM to “focus its efforts on working closely with states, local governments and stakeholders on efforts that will truly enhance active management and actual conservation of BLM lands within the framework of multiple use and sustained yield.”

The second is the BLM Conservation and Landscape Health Proposed Rule, which would prioritize health and resilience of ecosystems by applying land health standards and clarify that conservation is a “use” of the land. The county requests that this proposed rule be withdrawn and management continue under the NEPA process, with counties given a seat at the table.

County Priorities

The letter also points to other county priorities included in the NRMP that the county feels should be incorporated into the BLM’s decision-making process.

For example, it calls for the plan to protect the custom and culture of Crook County, which is “defined by the history of timber, mining, ranching and oil and gas development” and was led by “hardy individuals willing to work and develop the resources and to bring forth communities.”

Protecting this custom and culture, states the letter, involves preserving rangeland, soil, water and natural resources, as well as stabilizing ranch and farm operations, protecting the tax base and providing for the general health, safety and welfare of citizens.

The letter also speaks to the importance of protecting private property rights, stating that federal agencies should recognize this is a priority and consider the effect that policies, regulations and decisions might have on these rights.

Agriculture, too, is highlighted as a vital part of Crook County’s economic stability and something that must be maintained as part of the economy, custom and culture. The letter states that the county supports plans and policies that intend to increase stability and expand the industry, as well as encourage innovative techniques that improve crop and livestock production efficiencies.

The commissioners state that mineral production has been another part of the local culture for over a century and is a historical use of federal lands, predating the U.S. Forest Service and BLM.

Though it has waxed and waned, states the letter, “The mining industry makes up an important part of the property tax base of the county, and payrolls and expenditures for equipment, materials and supplies are important to the economic stability of the county.”

The letter points to priorities in the NRMP such as for federal agencies to coordinate with the county on proposals to withdraw lands from mineral exploration or extraction and on decisions that affect mining and mineral resources. The letter also quotes the NRMP’s call for clean and efficient coal powered electricity to continue to be used in the county and for federal agencies to support the continued responsible use of coal as an energy source.

The letter states similar priorities for oil and gas, which it says have contributed to the county’s taxable income for over a century. The county encourages the nomination of more leases for sale and encourages their approval in a timely manner.

The commission expresses that pipeline development for oil and gas transmission is also something for which the county has long been a proponent and asks that this is managed responsibly and supported.

Recreation, according to the letter, is not only part of the local culture, but also generates revenue for the local economy. The letter asks that recreational resources are managed to promote access and availability to the public for both tourism and recreational uses, while maintaining benefit to the county’s economy across important industries such as agriculture.

The commission also asks that the county’s Socioeconomic Supplement be used when the BLM performs its own socioeconomic analysis. The letter additionally calls for full and open access to public lands and protection of rights-of-way used to access property, use water rights or exercise grazing rights.

The proposed revision will replace the existing 23-year-old Newcastle RMP that guides the management of approximately 287,900 acres of public lands and 1.7 million acres of federal mineral estate managed by the BLM in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties in Wyoming.

Through this process, BLM also plans to revise the 31-year-old Nebraska RMP, which includes 5100 surface acres and 223,900 acres of federal mineral estate managed by the BLM across the state of Nebraska.