From the pages of
Sublette Examiner
Volume 7, Number 12 - June 14, 2007
brought to you online by Pinedale Online

RMP comment period ends Monday
BLM expects many more comments as June 18 deadline approaches
by Tiffany Turner and Joy Ufford

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will close the comment period for the draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) on June 18. Comments received after this date will not be taken into consideration as the BLM finalizes their plans.

According to RMP Team Leader Kellie Roadifer, the BLM has received large amounts of comments from citizens concerning the proposed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), many of them since the comment period was extended 30 days.

“We have received a number of comments in the last few weeks,” Roadifer said. “We have approximately 51,000 emails and a stack of paper letters about two and a half inches thick; I do not know how many comments have been entered on the RMP Web site, but I expect that number is substantial. I still expect a large number of comments to come in over the next week and right up until the deadline date.”

It appears that numerous agencies are taking advantage of the deadline extension, including the governor’s office.

“We haven't yet submitted our comments, and they likely will be submitted on June 18,” said Rob Black in Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s office.

The Town of Pinedale as an entity has not yet submitted comments either, according to mayor’s assistant Lauren McKeever. Those comments will be available after the deadline, she said.

Neither Sublette County officials nor the Wyoming Outdoor Council in Lander responded by press time.

Until after the June 18 deadline, Roadifer said she cannot divulge any information concerning comments made or possible changes to any of the proposed alternatives.

“When the comment period has closed, the comments will be available for review here at the BLM office,” Roadifer said.

“These are America’s public lands, and this is the best opportunity for citizens who own these lands to let BLM know how they would like them managed for the next 20 years or so,” said Linda Baker, local organizer of Upper Green River Valley Coalition (a local organization dedicated to balancing energy extraction and the environment).

“Decisions made here in the Pinedale area may also have rippling effects in other areas of the Rocky Mountain west where oil and gas is developed, so we must let the BLM know that where energy is developed, that it be done right.”

RMP comments may be submitted in writing to: RMP/EIS, Attn: Kellie Roadifer, BLM, Pinedale Office, P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, WY 82941; or they may be submitted electronically to pinedale_WYmail@blm.gov (or online at the BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/rmp/wy/pinedale/involved.html)

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