In 2019, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released their Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Uncompahgre Field Office (UFO). The Record of Decision and Approved RMP was signed into effect in 2020.
The 2020 RMP has major negative implications for the North Fork Valley. It proposed a development-friendly, new alternative that wasn’t in the Draft RMP or subject to any public comment. WSCC and other groups challenged this decision and eventually settled with the BLM. In January 2024, as a result of this agreement, the BLM began a process to amend the UFO RMP and reconsider decisions related to oil and gas development, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs), and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (LWCs).
The Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Uncompahgre Field Office will guide management decisions for the next 15-20 years in the planning area. The communities of the North Fork Valley successfully waged a campaign to include the North Fork Alternative Plan (NFAP) in the Draft RMP. The draft RMP was released on June 3rd, 2016 for public comment, and included four Alternatives, including the NFAP as Alternative B1. During the public commenting process, the BLM received over 52,000 comments.
After it has considered the comment received on the draft RMP/DEIS, the agency issued a proposed plan and FEIS on June 28th, 2019. The FEIS identifies changes from the Draft RMP, and provides a similar analysis of the proposed plan as in the Draft RMP, but with less of the comparative detail and analysis. The Proposed RMP also includes public comment received in Volume 4/Appendix R, or some summary of such, and the response to the issues raised from the BLM.
The Proposed RMP has major negative implications for the North Fork Valley. Mainly, it proposed a new alternative that wasn’t in the Draft RMP. This new alternative has not been subject to any public comment period, and represents the most development-friendly of all the alternatives in the Draft RMP. Other issues with the PRMP include:
As a result of settlement agreements between the BLM, WSCC, and other parties the BLM will amend the UFO RMP. Scoping for the RMP amendment was initiated in January 2024, and WSCC has submitted comments advocating for an updated North Fork Alternative Plan. In Winter 2024/2025, the BLM will issue a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and RMP Alternatives. This will initiate a 90-day public comment period. An Objections Process and Governor’s Consistency Review are required before finalizing the RMP amendment, which is expected to be completed by January 2026.
The BLM has also recently finalized several other land management planning efforts that will be incorporated into the UFO RMP. These include the Big Game Corridors RMP Amendment, Gunnison Sage Grouse RMP Amendment, and Western Solar RMP Amendment.
In September 2024, Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper, with the support of WSCC, Delta Board of County Commissioners, and Town of Paonia, introduced the Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act or GORP Act. The GORP Act would permanently withdraw from oil and gas development the majority of BLM surface managed lands in the North Fork Valley Watershed, including Jumbo Mountain and the Town of Paonia’s source water area.
The GORP Act also designates new wilderness and special management areas in the Gunnison Basin. The GORP Act & North Fork Valley Watershed Withdrawal send a strong signal to the BLM that limits on oil and gas development in the UFO RMP have broad support within our communities and from elected officials.
Public Comments and Community Engagement have been critical to this process and will be needed in response to the UFO draft RMP amendment/EIS. There will be a 90-day public comment window. WSCC will continue to work with partners to advocate for the North Fork Alternative Plan and provide community resources for those wanting to submit individual comments, contact local decision-makers, or write LTEs/op-eds.