Wyoming State Office
| Contacts: | Cindy Wertz 307-775-6014 |
Grasshopper Environmental Assessment Now Available
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Office announced that an Environmental Assessment (EA) on proposed grasshopper and Mormon cricket treatments is now available for review.
Comments on the EA will be accepted until April 26, 2010.
Based on surveys of the grasshopper outbreak in 2009, an estimated 6.7 percent, 1.2 million acres of the 18 million acres of BLM-administered lands in Wyoming, are currently threatened by a predicted infestation of grasshoppers. Such an infestation would result in substantial loss of vegetation and ground cover that is vital to providing food and habitat to wildlife and livestock populations and maintaining properly functioning ecosystems. Treatments are proposed to suppress grasshopper popluations where they occur in high numbers that could cause substantial ecological and economic damage.
Please submit written comments by April 23, 2010. Comments may be mailed to the BLM at P.O. Box 1828, Cheyenne, WY 82003. Please include “Grasshopper Control EA Comments” in the subject line. Comments may also be emailed to GrasshopperEA_WY@blm.gov. The EA will be posted at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/ghopper.html.
For more information, contact Weed and Pest Coordinator Ken Henke at 307-775-6041.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Cheyenne, WY 82009