Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon praised the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s finalized Greater Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA), saying the decision affirms Wyoming’s authority over wildlife management and reflects years of collaborative work between the state and federal officials.
Gordon received the Record of Decision (ROD) for the plan, which governs management of greater sage-grouse habitat on federal lands in Wyoming. The ROD formally concludes a multi-year process to update and finalize the plan.
“The plan recognizes the State’s management authority over the species utilizing the best-available science,” Gordon said in a statement. He noted Wyoming’s long-standing leadership in sage-grouse conservation and emphasized the importance of a state-led approach.
“Wyoming has been a leader in sage-grouse conservation for six decades, and the State of Wyoming’s Executive Order Greater Sage-Grouse Core Area Protection strategy has spanned three governors in its foresight to have a state-led conservation strategy,” Gordon said. “We will continue to invest in sage-grouse conservation alongside responsible development in Wyoming. I’m glad to see the BLM’s plan affirms this Executive Order after a collaborative process with the State.”
Wyoming’s sage-grouse strategy is guided by Executive Order 2019-3, which established core area protections and management standards intended to conserve the species while allowing for continued energy development and other land uses.
As part of ongoing implementation, the Governor’s Sage-Grouse Implementation Team—created by statute to coordinate protection of the greater sage-grouse under the executive order—will meet at 10 a.m. on Jan. 8 at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department headquarters in Cheyenne.
By DNU Staff