Advocating for the future of Red Desert Wildlands

The draft RMP packs a punch, at nearly 1300 pages to digest. With so much material on the table, we've taken the time to sift through and tease out that which is most relevant to Red Desert wildlands. Generally WWA supports provisions for wildlands in Alternative B but is asking the BLM to collaborate with the ranching community, stakeholders and Tribal rights holders in order to create a durable, actionable plan that protects a wild intact working landscape. Below is a summary of what we have found, what WWA is commenting on, and what we encourage you to support. It is important to remember that this version of the RMP is a draft. The BLM needs to hear from wildland lovers like you to make sure these unprecedented provisions remain in the final plan.

As we've seen with the proposed BLM Public Lands Rule, there is a shift in BLM priorities nation-wide toward emphasizing landscape health, ecosystem integrity, habitat connectivity, climate resilience, and Tribal co-stewardship. This reflects a much more holistic approach than in years past. We at WWA and our supporters have long understood that the health of our Wilderness areas and wildlands depends greatly on the health of the whole and are excited to see the BLM take steps in this direction. Tribal Nations have been living holistically with the land since time immemorial; it is exciting to see a shift toward incorporating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Tribal co-stewardship. These priorities and policy shifts are, to a degree, reflected in the BLM's preferred alternative, Alternative B, of the Rock Springs RMP. Overall, we appreciate the wildland protections laid out in Alternative B. However, if this plan is to remain viable for the next 15-20 years, and is to realistically implement a more holistic management approach, it needs to more directly emphasize landscape health, ecosystem integrity, habitat connectivity, climate resilience, and incorporate stronger language directing the agency to collaborate with Tribal Nations.  

After all public comments are received, the BLM will re-write the draft, likely combining elements of all 4 Alternatives in the final plan. Alternative A is the BLM's current management plan for the Red Desert; under this alternative nothing would change. Alternative B includes broad sweeping wildland protections and a strong emphasis on conservation. Alternative C includes almost no wildland protections and places high priority on resource extraction. Alternative D is supposed to be a balance between Alternative B & Alternative C; however, in many instances it provides less wildland protection and less conservation emphasis than what is currently in place. That being said, we do, in select instances, support certain provisions in Alternative D that provide for more site-specific, adaptive management.  

Again, it is important to remember this version of the RMP is a draft. The BLM needs to hear from wildland lovers like you to make sure the unprecedented provisions in Alternative B remain in the final plan.

The maps below show the various wildland protections laid out in the plan. Notice how in Alternative B most are overlapped by one or two other types of wildland designations. This is incredibly important in making sure these areas are managed both holistically and in a site-specific manner to ensure the best possible outcomes for the land.

• WSA's are shown in a solid golden brown.
• LWC's are shown in a solid steel blue.
• Suitable Wild and Scenic River segments are shown in bright blue.
• Current ACECs are shown in the map o the right in solid grey. Proposed ACECs in Alternative B are shown in multi-colored outline in the map on the left.

The Big Sandy Foothills is the Red Desert's link to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Encompassing the Prospect Mountains and the high sagebrush steppe that extends southwest from the Wind River Mountains, the area’s rich biodiversity contains important habitat for many species and connectivity to the rugged mountain ecosystems to the North and East. The Red Desert to Hoback migration corridor crosses the Foothills and supports thousands of mule deer that move across the landscape to their summer ranges in the Hoback Mountains. The area bounded by the Big Sandy River, Wind River Mountains, and Highway 28 has particularly high biodiversity, climate resilience, highly important, intact wildlife habitat and very low modern human presence. It has been deemed, locally and lovingly, the Golden Triangle, for this very reason. The Golden Triangle, with upwards of 800 male sage grouse, boasts the largest concentration of Greater-Sage Grouse in the world. It also encompasses critical elk, deer, and pronghorn winter ranges in addition to the Red Desert to Hoback Mule Deer Migration Corridor. The Wild & Scenic eligible Upper Sweetwater River flows down out of the Winds and into the Red Desert, providing a critical water source in this region. There is abundant evidence of Tribal Nations past and continued use of this landscape, including ancient soapstone quarries, teepee rings, and important food gathering sites. The Lander cut-off of the Oregon Trail traverses this region, telling the story of westward expansion in its dusty wagon tracks still visible on the land.

• South Wind River ACEC will be managed to protect the integrity of big game habitat & migration corridor, sage-grouse priority habitat, and important habitat for other special status species; the outstanding wild, scenic, and recreational values of the Upper Sweetwater WSR, the historic values of the National Historic Trails traversing the region, the scenic values of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, and Tribally significant areas within the landscape.
• Big Sandy Openings ACEC will be managed to protect the integrity of big game and greater sage-grouse habitat as well as for the wild, scenic nature of the Big Sandy River in this area.
• Big Game Migration Corridor ACEC will be managed protect the integrity of the Red Desert to Hoback Mule Deer migration corridor along with important big game winter range, calving grounds, and sage-grouse habitat.
• All above ACECS will be:
• Closed to new mineral lease sales such as for oil, natural gas, coal, oil shale, etc.
• Closed to new Right-of-Ways & other energy development, such as for pipelines & powerlines
• Unavailable for future mining claims, such as for gold or jade
• Motorized vehicles must stay on designated roads & trails
• It is important to note that South Wind River ACEC, Big Sandy Openings ACEC, and the Big Game Migration Corridor ACEC are all open to outdoor recreation, including off-highway vehicle use on designated roads and trails, hiking, hunting, camping, etc.

Will be managed to protect its wild, scenic, and recreational values.

There is one area of land north of and adjacent to highway 28 identified as having wilderness characteristics; it will be managed to preserve these wilderness values.

The ranching community, through both their nearby private land parcels and grazing on public lands, plays an important role in keeping these landscapes open and relatively undeveloped. They are one of the current stewards of the land. We're asking the BLM to collaborate with the ranching community on site-specific and adaptive management strategies for making sure these ecosystems are thriving, and in keeping these wildlands working wildlands.

Wyoming’s Northern Red Desert is a vast expanse of public lands composed of sand dunes, badlands, sagebrush-steppe, freshwater springs, and immense open spaces all scattered beneath a shattering blue sky. The Northern Red Desert’s expansive and undeveloped landscape stretches from the Jack Morrow Hills to the Great Divide Basin. These remote places provide crucial habitat for abundant and diverse wildlife and remarkable recreational experiences among its lofty buttes, winding and colorful badlands, and endless open spaces. Big game seek winter range in the desert and live here year-round—the remarkable 150-mile Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration corridor starts and ends in the desert here every spring and fall. Citizens from nearby communities treasure the solitude and wild places found in this area, engaging in diverse activities including hunting, camping, bird watching, hiking, trail running, mountain biking, prospecting for rocks, painting and photography, exploring historic trails, and ORV use. Other locally significant trail systems, like the Point of Rocks to South Pass stage route, also bisect the Northern Red Desert. This area is the continued and ancestral homelands and migratory territory of many Tribal Nations. Places such as the Boar's Tusk, Indian Gap Trail, and others are of high significance to the many peoples who have called these places home since time immemorial.

There are 9 WSAs in the Northern Red Desert. These will be managed to preserve their Wilderness characteristics even if released by Congress in the future

Alkali Draw WSA, Alkali Basin-East Sand Dunes WSA, Buffalo Hump WSA, Honeycomb Buttes WSA, Oregon Buttes WSA, Red Lake WSA, Sand Dunes WSA, South Pinnacles WSA, Whitehorse Creek WSA

There are 4 areas in the Northern Red Desert identified as having wilderness characteristics; these will be managed to preserve their wilderness values.

There are 10 proposed ACECs in the Northern Red Desert, many of which have been significantly expanded or are new under Alternative B. With the exception of the lands north of Red Lake and south of Honeycomb Buttes, most of the Northern Red Desert is included in one or more ACEC designations. These ACEC designations overlap all LWCs & WSAs in the area as well. Priorities for these ACECs range from protecting and improving habitat integrity and connectivity to preserving National Historic Trails. All provide significant increases in and overlapping protections for this special landscape.

• Most of the above ACECS will be:
• Closed to new mineral lease sales such as for oil, natural gas, coal, oil shale, etc.
• Closed to new Right-of-Ways & other energy development, such as for pipelines & powerlines
• Unavailable for future mining claims, such as for gold or jade
• Motorized vehicles must stay on designated roads & trails
• It is important to note that all are open to outdoor recreation, including off-highway vehicle use on designated roads and trails, hiking, hunting, camping, etc.
• It is also important to note that most of the lands within this part of the field office have low potential for viable mineral extraction and energy development.

Big Game Migration Corridor ACEC, Cedar Canyon ACEC, East Sand Dunes-Red Lake ACEC, Greater Sand Dunes ACEC, Oregon Buttes ACEC, Pinnacles ACEC, South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC, Special Status Plant Species ACEC, Steamboat Mountain ACEC, White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC

The ranching community, through both their nearby private land parcels and grazing on public lands, plays an important role in keeping these landscapes open and relatively undeveloped. They are one of the current stewards of the land. We're asking the BLM to collaborate with the ranching community on site-specific and adaptive management strategies for making sure these ecosystems are thriving, and in keeping these wildlands working wildlands.

Covering 85,710 acres, Adobe Town Wilderness Study Area stands as the largest WSA in Wyoming, half of which is managed by the Rock Springs Field Office. Inside this remarkable area, you'll encounter a mesmerizing landscape shaped by millennia of erosion, featuring vibrant badlands, imposing buttes, and towering spires. Situated 80 miles southwest of Rawlins, this region offers unparalleled opportunities for solitude. Its rugged badland edges and numerous canyons create ample chances to avoid the sights and sounds of other explorers, while the vast, open desert plain, adorned with sagebrush and sweeping scenic views, instills a profound sense of vastness and solitude. Adobe Town remains predominantly untouched by modern human intervention, although traces of past oil and gas exploration, historical livestock watering reservoirs, and two abandoned wild horse traps can be found. This area is part of the ancestral homelands and migratory territories of many Tribal Nations, boasting significant evidence of at least 12000 years of continuous human occupation. It remains an integral landscape for those Tribal Nations today as part of their continued use and connection to the land.

• Managed to preserve its Wilderness characteristics even if released by Congress in the future

• Will be managed to protect its (insert relevance & importance criteria here)...
• Closed to new mineral lease sales such as for oil, natural gas, coal, oil shale, etc.
• Closed to new Right-of-Ways & other energy development, such as for pipelines & powerlines
• Unavailable for future mining claims, such as for gold or jade
• Motorized vehicles must stay on designated roads & trails
• It is important to note that Monument Valley ACEC is open to outdoor recreation, including off-highway vehicle use on designated roads and trails, hiking, hunting, camping, etc.

If you have a connection to the Red Desert, or even if you've never been but value public lands for the wildness they embody and preserve, please take the time to write a letter to the BLM in support of the protections laid out for this special landscape. These areas remain largely intact, unfragmented, free from modern development, largely free from motorized vehicle use, and have thriving plant and wildlife populations that are rare to find in today's world. The BLM needs to hear from you in order to prioritize the health and well being of this special landscape. Please ask the BLM:

• Manage all WSAs for their wilderness values even if they are released by Congress
• Manage all LWCs for their wilderness values
• Manage all eligible & suitable WSR segments for their wild, scenic, and recreational values
• Retain all ACEC boundaries and management prescriptions as presented in Alternative B
• Clarify how these overlapping wildland designations support and enhance ecosystem integrity, habitat connectivity, climate resilience, and provide opportunities for Tribal co-stewardship and continued traditional use.
• Collaborate with Tribal Nations on co-stewarding their homelands and traditional migratory territories.

Our friends and partners at Winter Wildlands Alliance have provided a very thoughtful, concise  guide  to writing comments to federal agencies. Here a few helpful tips from that guide:

• Start by making a case for yourself – explain your relationship to and history with the area or issue in question. When commenting it is important to address how the issue at hand will affect the environment and your ability to use or enjoy public lands.
• The Why---While there may be any number of reasons that you find problems with a document, your comments should clearly state why the issues you identify are problematic. In addition, it is important to present a solution to the problems you identify.
• Acknowleding the Positive--If you are supportive – whether in whole, or in part – state that and explain why. Highlight what you agree with or feel the agency has done right in the proposed action or plan. While the primary purpose of the comment period is to offer ways to improve the proposed action, it is always good to start on a positive note and acknowledge when the agency is on the right track.
• Supporting Your Comment--Whenever possible, support these comments with reputable sources of information or relevant background, including well documented personal experience.
• New Information--Federal agencies may not be aware of the most recent scientific information available on any given issue – if you are aware of new studies that are relevant to the proposed action summarize these studies in your comments and include a copy of the paper or report.