Wyoming’s public lands just got a little louder in Washington, and that’s a good thing if you care about keeping local field offices open and protecting working landscapes.
This week, Wyoming Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) took center stage at a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing, questioning Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and he wasn’t pulling any punches.
A Tough Wyoming Welcome for the New BLM Pick
Senator Barrasso pressed BLM Director nominee Steve Pearce on two big items that matter here at home:
- Keeping Wyoming BLM field offices open and strong. Barrasso noted that offices in places like Buffalo, Cody, Newcastle and Pinedale aren’t just federal outposts; they’re anchors for rural economies, local ranchers, energy workers, outdoor businesses, and the communities that depend on them. He asked Pearce to commit to long-term certainty for these offices.
- Reining in the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP). The senator didn’t mince words about the 2024 Rock Springs RMP, finalized late in the Biden administration and widely criticized here in Wyoming. Barrasso called it a plan that would have “locked up millions of acres of land that local communities rely upon, and secured a commitment from Pearce to work with Wyoming officials to amend it.
Why This Matters to Wyoming
To understand the stakes here, it helps to know what the Rock Springs RMP actually is. It’s a federal land-use blueprint for roughly 3.6 million acres in southwest Wyoming that guides everything from grazing and energy development to wildlife habitat protections. The last time it was updated was decades ago, and every revision has drawn fierce debate from communities, landowners, energy sectors, and conservation groups alike.
Barrasso has long argued that the plan, as written, went too far, hurt local input, and could hamper Wyoming’s economy, and this hearing gave him a national stage to make that case and extract commitments from the next BLM leader.
In field offices, he stressed that boots on the ground matter, especially in a state where public land drives much of our way of life, from ranching and energy to hunting, fishing, and tourism.
What Comes Next
Pearce still needs Senate confirmation, and a lot can change during that process. But for now, Barrasso’s approach is clear: Push the new BLM leadership to work with Wyoming, not around us. That’s a message that resonates with a lot of folks here who’ve watched federal decisions get made far from here.
Stay tuned, as this nomination and land-use debate unfold, we’ll keep you updated with what it means for Jackson Hole, Teton County, and the rest of Wyoming.
AntlersArch founder and the voice behind Teton Tattle.
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