January 23, 2009

Just before the Bush Administration left office, despite overwhelming support for conservation, the BLM decided to allow oil and gas development on more than 98% of 4.6 million acres of public lands in Wyoming, including the eastern half of the Red Desert. In doing so, they dismissed the largest number of comments regarding federal land in the history of the State of Wyoming.

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The BLM's plan for the Great Divide region covers an enormous expanse, landscapes proposed by citizens to be protected as Wilderness, such as Adobe Town, Wild Cow Creek and the Powder Rim, and one of the last fully-functioning sagebrush ecosystems in the West. BCA members, board and staff have led conservation advocacy for this area during the six-year plan revision to ensure that strongholds for rare native wildlife and crown jewel landscapes will be conserved for our future.

If carried out, the BLM's plan will likely have terrible impacts on the future of many rare species, such as the black-footed ferret, sage grouse, ferruginous hawk, burrowing owl, white-tailed prairie dog and mountain plover, not to mention crucial winter ranges for a host of big game species.

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BCA drafted the Western Heritage Alternative as a science-based conservation plan for the region. Our staff, board and members wrote dozens of letters to editors and guest editorials in local papers. They partnered with widely varying groups such as the Eastern Shoshone, Labor Unions, the Wyoming Association of Churches, County Commissions, City Councils, hunters, landowners, scientists and the Governor's office to send a strong message that the will of Wyoming is to conserve our wildlife and special landscapes, such as Adobe Town.

The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council voted to protect Adobe Town from uranium and oil shale mining; the Sweetwater County Commission resolved that oil and gas development should not take place inside Adobe Town; numerous local newspapers wrote editorials encouraging the BLM to protect Adobe Town; and major national magazines, such as Backpacker, published articles expounding on Adobe Town's beauty and need for protection.

But the BLM didn't pay attention. Showing contempt for the will of the public, the BLM threw a few crumbs to conservationists and then bulldozed ahead with their short-sighted decision to open your public lands to oil and gas development before the old Administration left office, giving Adobe Town only the bare minimum protection required by law.

BCA is not taking this affront lying down. Please click here to help us fight this unacceptable decision. Emergency funds in the amount of $7,000 are needed to resolve this terrible assault on our natural treasures. Thank you so much for caring about Wyoming's wild places. They deserve your help!

Learn more about the BLM's decision at http://www.voiceforthewild.org/general/news/n15January09.html.

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