Big Horn Basin RMP Alternatives - _NRG_ Coalition

							   Who is the BLM?
    ◦ Bureau of Land Management – The agency within the Interior Department
      responsible for managing the 245 million acres of public lands as well as
      700 million acres of federally-owned subsurface mineral rights.
   What is the RMP?
    ◦ Resource Management Plan (RMP) – A land use plan required by federal law
      that establishes, for a given area, land use allocations, coordination
      guidelines for multiple use, objectives and actions to be achieved.
   What is an EIS?
    ◦ Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) – A document that describes the
      impacts on the environment as a result of a proposed action. It also
      describes impacts of alternatives as well as plans to mitigate the impacts.
   How are public lands defined?
    ◦ Public Lands –Land or interest in land (mineral rights) owned and managed
      by the local, state and federal government for the American people. The
      majority of public lands are held in trust by the federal government, and
      managed by the agencies under the Department of Interior including the
      BLM.




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   The Big Horn Basin Draft RMP is a combined effort to conduct legally required
    revisions to existing RMP’s for the Cody and Worland BLM field offices.
   The planning area includes:
    ◦ 5.6 million acres of federal, state and private lands in four counties (Big Horn, Park,
      Washakie and Hot Springs)
       3.1 million acres of BLM administered surface lands
       4.2 million acres of BLM administered mineral estate




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    The BLM recently released the draft BHB RMP. Through the RMP
     process, the government will decide what activities can occur on
     public lands.
    The draft RMP contains four potential levels of availability for leasing
     and development of mineral resources, livestock grazing, motorized
     and non-motorized recreational activities and other land activities.


                Alternatives                                       Description
Alternative A (No Action Alternative)          A continuation of current management

Alternative B                                  Conserves the most land area for physical, biological and
                                               heritage resources – most restrictive for mineral
                                               development
Alternative C                                  Emphasizes resource use and reduces constraints on
                                               resource uses to protect physical, biological and heritage
                                               resources – least restrictive for mineral development
Alternative D (Agency Preferred Alternative)   Generally increases conservation of physical, biological
                                               and heritage resources compared to current
                                               management (Alternative A) – increases restrictions for
                                               mineral development

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   The BLM controls 76% of the Big Horn Basin
    surface and minerals.
   The final alternative that the BLM adopts will
    effect everyone that lives, works and recreates in
    the Big Horn Basin.
   The RMP will dictate how public lands are
    controlled from recreational use to farming and
    grazing to
    mineral development including oil and natural
    gas.




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   In 2009, the oil and natural gas industry’s share of the property
    tax income for the four counties affected by the proposed RMP
    was:
    ◦   Hot Springs – 85%
    ◦   Park – 67%
    ◦   Big Horn – 58%
    ◦   Washakie – 49%
   Statewide, the Industry‘s share of taxes to the State of Wyoming
    was 60%.
   Restricting access to federal lands for the development of the
    mineral estate will drastically reduce the tax revenues to the state.
   This tax revenue helps pay for county and city governments, public
    services such as trash collection, water, schools, recreation and fire
    protection.
   Wyoming also enjoys one of the lowest cost of living standards in
    the United States due to the income from the mineral industry.
   These proposed changes to Wyoming’s energy production will have
    a detrimental impact to the United States’ energy security.

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   In 1978 annual oil production amounted to approximately 55 million
    barrels/year. In 2008 the annual oil production in the Big Horn Basin had
    dropped to approximately 15 million barrels/year. Tax revenues have remained
    significant over this time period, mainly due to the price increase of oil.




                                          Data from IHS Energy Group (2009)

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   A copy of the Big Horn Basin Draft Resource Management Plan
    is available on CD and can be obtained from the Cody or
    Worland BLM office or can be downloaded from the BLM
    website at
    http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/planning/rmps/bigh
    orn.html.
   Hard copies are available for public review at your local library.
   Attend public meetings.




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   The BLM will host public meetings where you are encouraged to
    participate and submit comments.
   Comments are encouraged on any aspect of the RMP until July 20,
    2011.
   The schedule for public meetings is listed below.
                 Date and Time                        Location
     Monday, June 6, 2011             Days Inn
     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.           115 East Park Street, Thermopolis
     Tuesday, June 7, 2011            Worland Community Center
     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.           1200 Culbertson, Ave., Worland
     Wednesday, June 8, 2011          Big Horn County Weed and Pest Office
     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.           4782 Highway 310, Greybull
     Monday, June 13, 2011            Lovell Community Center
     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.           1925 Highway 310, Lovell
     Tuesday, June 14, 2011           Holiday Inn
     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.           1701 Sheridan Ave., Cody
     Wednesday, June 15, 2011         Park County Fairgrounds General Exhibit Hall
     4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.           655 East 5th Street, Powell

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   Be specific. State particular reasons for your concerns instead
    of making broad statements.
   Provide details. Refer to specific portions of the document and
    provide section or page numbers if possible.
   Provide suggestions for how the BLM can improve the
    document.
   Submit comments using the following methods:
    ◦ Website: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Planning/rmps/bighorn
      .html
    ◦ Email: BBRMP_WYMail@blm.gov
    ◦ Mail or in person:
       Worland Field Office, 101 South 23rd Street, Worland, WY 82401
       Cody Field Office, 1002 Blackburn Street, Cody, Wyoming 82414




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   In 2009, the oil and Gas industry employed nearly 5% (1 in 20 jobs) of the
    private sector in the Big Horn Basin (CBNGA.org).
   In 2009, Wyoming’s petroleum industry employed approximately 26,000
    people with an annual payroll of over $1.88 billion (PAWYO.org).
   In fiscal year 2009, oil and gas production contributed $2.3 billion in income
    for the State of Wyoming. That is a direct payment of nearly $4,692 for every
    person living in Wyoming (PAWYO.org).
   In 2010, the total property tax base from these four counties in the Big Horn
    Basin was almost $1.3 billion dollars (PAWYO.org).
   Access to public lands for future oil and gas exploration and development will
    be crucial to sustain our local economies which rely on tax revenues and good
    paying jobs provided by the oil and gas industry.




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   Approximately 154,861 acres of federally owned land in the Big Horn Basin are
    currently unavailable to oil and gas leasing. If Alternative B is adopted by the
    BLM, this amount could increase to a total of 2,296,279 acres (BLM.gov)
   The Big Horn Basin is surrounded by 9.13 million acres of federally controlled
    lands which have no or very minimal mineral leasing or development (Shoshone
    National Forrest, Yellowstone National Park and Big Horn National Forest)
    (fs.fed.us/).
   Just because an oil and gas company has the oil and gas lease, a well cannot be
    drilled until a permit has been submitted, scrutinized and been subjected to
    impact and environmental analysis by the BLM and State agencies.
For More information on the BHB RMP as well as Secretarial Order 3310, please visit the
   Coalbed Natural gas Alliance website: http://cbnga.com/




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