Casper Field Office
| Contacts: | Lesley A. Collins | |||
| 307-261-7603 |
BLM Clarifies Muddy Mountain Land Exchange Proposal:
Public will gain access to 160 acres on Muddy Mountain
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Casper Field Office and Howell Petroleum Corporation recently completed two public scoping meetings to gather comments for an environmental assessment (EA) on the Muddy Mountain land exchange.
"It became evident almost immediately in the meetings there was misunderstanding about the proposal" said BLM Casper Field Manager Joe Meyer. "There are currently two exchange proposals that involve lands around Muddy Mountain.” Meyer went on to explain that BLM and Howell are proposing to exchange lands in the Salt Creek Oil Field for lands on Muddy Mountain.
BLM would receive 160 acres on Muddy Mountain adjacent to the environmental education area. Howell would receive about 3,500 acres in the oil field. The acreage disparity is a result of statutory requirements to do land exchanges on an equal value basis, based on fair market value.
A separate exchange involving State Lands and Russell Gordy is under consideration by the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments. The Gordy exchange is not connected in any way with the BLM Muddy Mountain land exchange.
"Several members of the public attended our scoping meetings expecting to discuss the exchange between Gordy and the State,” said Meyer. “We dispelled that confusion at the meeting, but we feel compelled to clarify the matter for the public so we get good constructive scoping comments with which to develop our EA.”
Information on the Muddy Mountain exchange between BLM and Howell are available at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/cfodocs/howell_exchange.html.
Scoping comments are due by June 19, 2010. For more information, contact Randy Sorenson at (307) 261-7522.
Written comments should be submitted to the BLM Casper Field Office, Attn: Randy Sorenson, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY, 82604. Comments or questions may also be sent by facsimile to the attention of Sorenson at 307-261-7587 or sent electronically to: casper_wymail@blm.gov.
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.
Casper Field Office 2987 Prospector Drive Casper, WY 82604