The BLM is holding public meetings over the next two weeks to determine which lands the public enjoys for scenery in the Rock Springs and Rawlins Field Offices. Included are lands from the lower Green River Valley, virtually the entire Red Desert, and east through the Shirley Basin and Laramie Basin to the Nebraska border.

This is your chance to tell the BLM which public lands you think should be managed to protect or maintain their scenery.

All lands have scenic values to one degree or another, but some are especially important. High-value scenic lands can be landmarks themselves, foregrounds for views of the mountains or other prominent features, or vistas from scenic overlooks. The BLM will be applying its 'Visual Resource Management' system to determine which lands have scenic values to be protected and which lands will be managed primarily for heavy industrial use.

Honeycomb Buttes in the Jack Morrow Hills. Ken Driese photo.

The Rawlins and Rock Springs Field Offices encompass many types of scenic lands. Potential wilderness areas like Adobe Town, Wild Cow Creek, the Kinney Rim, and The Pinnacles have significant scenic qualities. Historic trails and sites have scenic viewsheds that provide a natural setting that allows visitors to appreciate what early pioneers or Native American tribes would have experienced more than a century ago. Landmarks like the Boar's Tusk, Steamboat Mountain, and the Ferris Dunes are destinations for sightseers, and landscapes like the Jack Morrow Hills, the Atlantic Rim, and Little Mountain form scenic backdrops for hunters, campers, and wildlife watchers.

Attend one of the following BLM meetings from 4:00 to 7:30 pm and tell the agency which lands have important scenic values to you:

• Wild Cow Creek citizens' proposed wilderness.

  Rock Springs - Wednesday, July 14

Western Wyoming Community College, Room 1302

• Saratoga - Monday, July 19

Platte Valley Community Center, 210 Elm Street

• Laramie - Tuesday, July 20

Albany County Library, 310 South 8th Street