Congresswoman Harriet Hageman is introducing two pieces of legislation to halt the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Buffalo and Rock Springs Resource Management Plans (RMPs), according to a media release. The RMPs amount to a federal land lockout, shutting down over 11 million acres of Wyoming’s public lands by reclassifying multiple-use management as non-use or restricted access. Grazing, mining, recreation, and energy development—key pillars of Wyoming’s economy—will be devastated as the Biden-Harris administration prioritizes radical environmentalism over practical and responsible land stewardship. Her legislation protects Wyoming land by blocking the RMPs implementation.
“BLM’s Buffalo and Rock Springs RMPs are nothing short of a federal sabotage of Wyoming’s economy, heritage, and way of life,” stated Hageman. “These RMPs ignore multiple-use principles mandated by Congress and jeopardize our industries, communities, and economic future. By prioritizing the agendas of the radical green lobby over responsible local stewardship, the Biden-Harris administration disregards generations of Wyomingites who have sustainably managed our own lands. This is not about conservation—it is about control. If the eco-terrorists employing BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning had their way, they would dismantle rural livelihoods and have us all freeze to death this winter under the pretense of ‘sustainable’ climate action. I will continue to fight for our state’s rights and ensure federal lands are managed for prosperity, not bureaucratic consolidation of power.”
Background:
In Buffalo, BLM’s RMP prohibits new federal coal leasing on nearly 50 billion tons of reserves. No new coal leases will be accepted, with existing leases projected to run out by 2041. In Rock Springs, the BLM’s rushed restrictions lock up over one million acres of well-managed, highly productive land. BLM’s decision process was a flawed and hasty “check-the-box” effort pushed through at the Biden administration’s tail end. Hageman vowed to reintroduce legislation in the 119th Congress to stop the implementation of these RMPs and is optimistic about gaining traction with a Republican majority and President Trump’s leadership. Her bills seek to restore local control and access to Wyoming’s public lands, rebuffing federal overreach and ensuring coal, grazing, and energy development remain integral to the state’s economy.
