Published March 05, 2025
By Olivia Thomas
![Oregon Buttes. [Online Image]. (2025). Ecoflight. https://ecoflight.org/photos/](/law/_files/images/centers/oregon-buttes.jpg)
Oregon Buttes. [Online Image]. (2025). Ecoflight. https://ecoflight.org/photos/
After more than a decade in development, officials finalized the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP), outlining the future of 3.6 million acres of public land in southwest Wyoming for the next 20 years. On December 20, 2024, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a Record of Decision, approving the plan. However, amid ongoing controversy over its implementation, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a temporary hold on the Rock Springs RMP.
The Rock Springs Field Office manages a large portion of BLM-administered lands across Sweetwater, Uinta, Lincoln, Sublette, and Fremont counties. These areas are home to critical wildlife habitats, subsurface minerals, livestock grazing areas, and outdoor recreation destinations. The new RMP sought to increase conservation efforts while updating policies on energy development, wildlife and habitat conservation, grazing management, recreation and public access, and cultural and historical sites. While some conservationists favored the plan’s increased
protections, others including the state and local government officials voiced concerns over potential restrictions on land use.
Despite its recent finalization, the Rock Springs RMP was put on hold February 6, 2025, by the new Interior Secretary, Doug Burgum. A Cowboy State Daily article reports that former Interior official Rob Wallace believes that the review of the Rock Springs RMP will be more receptive to Wyoming’s concerns regarding the plan. Wyoming officials, including Governor Mark Gordon, expressed hope that the review will lead to revisions that better balance federal land-use policies with the state’s economic priorities.
The current hold on the Rock Springs RMP signals a pivotal moment for Wyoming’s public lands. As discussions over the policy updates and land use priorities continue, stakeholders across the state await clarity on the next steps and the future direction of the plan.
Hyperlinks:
