Unleashing American Energy: Rock Springs RMP shut down as part of Trump administration’s effort to reverse harmful regulations

After nearly a year and a half spent fighting against the Biden administration’s controversial Rock Springs Resource Management Plan (RMP), newly-appointed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum was granted authority to review and revise all relevant RMPs in the state, announcing the Rock Springs plan would be shut down for further review. 

The action comes as one of many under President Donald. J. Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order (EO), which aims to reverse harmful and burdensome regulations on the development and use of the nation’s energy and natural resources. 

In a joint statement published on Feb. 6, Wyoming Sen. Stacy Jones (R-S13) and Reps. J.T. Larson (R-H17) and Cody Wylie (R-H39) state, “This decision paves the way to reverse an unworkable and restrictive proposal which would devastate Wyoming’s ability to responsibly recreate, develop and produce on these public lands.” 

Opposition 

The Rock Springs RMP has stirred up strong opposition across the Cowboy State since it was initially brought to the public’s attention on Aug. 18, 2023, following the release of a draft RMP and environmental impact statement.

A concurrent 90-day public comment period was initiated and later extended through Jan. 17, 2024. 

During this time, the BLM held three in-person meetings and received more than 35,000 comments. Gov. Mark Gordon also appointed a task force to develop detailed recommendations on the draft plan. 

A little less than a year later, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) signed and released a record of decision and approved RMP on Dec. 20, 2024. 

Since the beginning, multiple industry stakeholders have criticized the Biden administration’s plan, which would have restricted public access on nearly 3.6 million acres of BLM-administered public lands and 3.5 million acres of mineral estate across Lincoln, Sweetwater, Uinta, Sublette and Fremont counties for livestock grazing, energy exploration, hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.

Many worried these rigid restrictions would have devastating effects on the local economy, which relies heavily on agriculture, energy and tourism. 

Optimism 

While Burgum’s announcement has been welcome news across the state of Wyoming, next steps are still unknown. 

In an interview with Cowboy State Daily, Rob Wallace, former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Malcom Wallop and former Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer, tells Reporter Mark Heinz the plan will likely be given a “tune-up” instead of being fully nullified by Congress.

In a separate Cowboy State Daily article written by Heinz, Sweetwater County Commissioner Taylor Jones notes the announcement brings new questions and more work to be done. 

“As far as what happens next, do we pick a different alternative or do we just revert back to the previous RMP?” Jones asks. “Does this have a timeline on it? Do we have two weeks or 60 days?”

Regardless, the governor is optimistic the new administration will finally listen to what Wyoming has to say and that Burgum will set the Rock Springs RMP on a better path.

“Burgum’s order is a refreshing change of direction. It recognizes the state’s priorities, encourages responsible development of our domestic energy resources and reduces the unilateral regulatory burdens placed on Wyoming’s oil, gas and coal industries by the previous administration,” Gordon says in a Feb. 6 press release. “The secretary and I talked about this order before it was issued, and I am pleased he included my recommendations.” 

“These actions will impact a wide range of industries in Wyoming, from coal, oil and gas to uranium and rare earth minerals,” he adds. “I look forward to the actions emerging from this review, and Wyoming pledges to work with the Trump administration to provide the reliable, dispatchable and affordable energy our country needs.” 

Gratitude 

Other state officials have also expressed their gratitude for the new secretary and the Trump administration as a whole. 

“The fight for access to our public lands has paid off,” Jones states. “This is what I’ve worked so hard for – the task force meetings, the public meetings, the difficult meetings with local BLM directors and a trip to Washington, D.C. – to protect our access. The rollback of the Rock Springs RMP was a fight from the people, for the people. But the hard work isn’t over yet – it has just reset.”

“For over a year, our community of Rock Springs has cried foul, pushing back with all the resources we had and then some,” Larson adds. “Thanks to all of you, including our hardworking county commissioners, who all stood firm meeting after meeting and to those who came and commented – your voices were heard. A big thank you to President Trump, who heard loud and clear how disastrous this plan would be for Rock Springs for the next two decades and did something about it.”

Wylie further comments, “After all of the hours, days and months this Sweetwater delegation dedicated to the Rock Springs RMP and following all of the rules, procedures and hurdles, we finally have an equitable outcome. I would like to thank all of the folks in the community who participated. I would also like to thank the governor for having our backs when it looked like we may not get such a favorable outcome. A special thanks to President Trump for listening to local people and supporting local solutions.”

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis (all R-WY) also made statements in support of the president’s Unleashing American Energy EO, finding it a welcome change from the Biden administration’s policies, with optimism for the future of Wyoming’s energy industry.

“Trump and Burgum are reversing the previous administration’s war on American energy,” Barrasso writes in a statement to Cowboy State Daily. “The misguided Rock Springs, Buffalo and Greater Sage Grouse RMPs must be rewritten. Burgum’s quick executive action brings us one step closer to this goal. Together, we will make energy and mineral production in Wyoming and across our federal lands an urgent and top priority.”

Lummis also tells Cowboy State Daily, “For four years BLM used every tool in its chest to advance its land-grabbing agenda. Burgum’s actions are a welcomed and refreshing change. I have long maintained Wyoming’s stakeholders and experts are far more qualified than Biden’s Washington, D.C. bureaucrats to make decisions on behalf of the Cowboy State, and I look forward to partnering with the Trump administration to restore the BLM to better serve its intended mission.”

“These actions are incredibly important to Wyoming and the country as a whole,” Hageman says in a Feb. 9 press release. “Energy security is national security. Our prosperity is based on having access to affordable and reliable energy. The fact Burgum moved so quickly on these issues speaks volumes regarding how important Wyoming’s legacy industries are to Trump’s agenda.” 

“As your representative, I am committed to pursuing sound energy policy. I am pleased to see Burgum is also committed, and I look forward to working with him and the Trump administration to quickly undo the damage caused by the predecessors,” she concludes. 

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.