Carbon County as well as cities within the county recently sent letters of protest to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to amend federal land use plans in Utah as set forth in the FEIS for Greater Sage-Grouse conservation measures. East Carbon, Helper, Price City, Wellington and Scofield Town officials all sent letters to the BLM.
The county and cities sent the letter explaining that they feel the BLM should amend federal land use plans in the Price Resource Area as set forth in the Greater Sage-Grouse Land Use Plan Amendments and Environmental Impact Statement. It was stated that the lead agencies did not take into consideration the affects the conservation measures would have on the local economy.
The letters from locally elected officials state that the proposed plan amendments are not consistent with the State of Utah’s Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-Grouse in Utah and the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
“These inconsistencies with the State’s plan are not allowed by Title II, Section 202 (c) (9) of FLMPA, which states that ‘In the development and revision of land use plans, the Secretary shall … assure that consideration is given to … State plans … that are germane in the development of land use plans for public lands [and] assist in resolving, to the extent practical, inconsistencies between Federal and non-Federal Government plans …. Land use plans of the Secretary … shall be consistent with State and local plans to the maximum extent he finds consistent with Federal law and the purposes of this Act,”‘ officials wrote in the letters.
The letters submitted by the county and city went on to explain that the conservation plan will impose unnecessary burdens on the residents, business owners and the public who contribute significantly to the economy within the county. Letters stated that Carbon County, as a cooperating agency in the creation of the Greater Sage-Grouse Land Use Plan Amendments and Environmental Impact Statement, has rendered comments that they support and concur with, but seems to have been widely ignored by BLM and the Forest Service.
The letters were sent last week to the BLM Director and Protest Coordinator.