Lander Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM Holds Public Meeting for
East Fork Elk Winter Range Mineral Withdrawal Extension
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lander Field Office (LFO) will host a public meeting on Dec. 3 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Dubois Town Hall to discuss a proposal to extend the withdrawal of public mineral estate from exploration on more than 10,000 acres in the East Fork Elk Winter Range near Dubois.
The notice of the proposed withdrawal extension for the East Fork Elk Winter Range was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 18, 2012, which opened a 90-day public comment period. The purpose of the public meeting is to gather input about this extension, which would last for a period of 20 years.
In March 1993, Public Land Order (PLO) No. 6960 withdrew 10,535.30 acres of public mineral estate from location or entry under the United States mining laws to protect the East Fork Elk Winter Range in Fremont County. Approximately 4,000-5,000 elk and 45 bighorn sheep utilize this area as winter range. The PLO that established this withdrawal will expire in March 2013 unless it is extended.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) began purchasing and managing land in this elk winter range in 1941 to maintain a healthy, productive elk herd, and it continues to fund management and habitat development on the land within the winter range. The BLM manages public land and subsurface minerals within the East Fork Elk Winter Range in coordination with WGFD. The elk herd draws sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts who can hunt and observe elk and other wildlife in their natural surroundings.
Written comments may be provided at the meeting or to the LFO by Jan. 16, 2013. Comments should be sent to the Bureau of Land Management, Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, WY 82520, or emailed to lander_wymail@blm.gov; please include “East Fork Withdrawal” in the subject line.
Before including your address, phone number, email address or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Dubois Town Hall is located at 712 Meckem Street. For more information, please contact BLM Wildlife Biologist Sue Oberlie at 307-332-8400.
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.
Lander Field Office 1335 Main Street Lander, WY 82520