WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wyoming’s delegation moved Wednesday to overturn a Biden-era BLM land management plan that limited mining in part of the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.
BLM’s Resource Management Plans hatched during the Biden administration are increasingly under fire from GOP lawmakers across the West, who view many as an impediment to economic growth in rural communities.
“They attempted to shut down all future coal leasing in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin,” U.S. Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso said. “This short-sighted assault on coal ignored the people of Wyoming and threatened to kill jobs and cost Wyoming communities millions of dollars.”
Wyoming’s congressional delegation Wednesday announced legislation to throw out the Buffalo RMP Amendment, which came from the BLM's Buffalo field office under Biden and prohibits nearly 50 billion short tons of coal from being mined in the Powder River Basin.
“They attempted to shut down all future coal leasing in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin,” U.S. Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso said in the announcement. "This short-sighted assault on coal ignored the people of Wyoming and threatened to kill jobs and cost Wyoming communities millions of dollars.”
"The Biden administration waged an unrelenting war on Wyoming coal and American energy independence, and their radical Buffalo RMPA was a key piece for environmental extremists who want to destroy all coal mining in the Powder River Basin,” U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming, said.
Congressional Review Act
The Wyomingites’ bill to overturn the Buffalo RMPA makes use of a law called the Congressional Review Act (CRA). This law allows Congress to overturn federal rules with simple-majority votes in both chambers.
For the first time ever, the current Congress — led by the GOP in both chambers — is treating RMPs and RMP amendments as rules subject to the CRA. Democrats, environmentalists and some legal scholars warn this posture could unleash legal chaos, throwing all permits and regulations on BLM land into limbo.
But for now, the Wyoming lawmakers’ bill is just the tip of the iceberg as the GOP is busy sinking various RMPs in whole or in part.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted along party lines to overturn RMPs in Montana and North Dakota. Both RMPs had restricted coal mining. The House previously voted for those two measures, meaning Wednesday’s votes sent them to President Donald Trump’s desk.
A vote to get rid of another RMP in Alaska, concerning 13 million acres of wilderness, is set for Thursday. It was not immediately clear when voting on the Buffalo RMPA would take place.
Supposedly Balanced Plans
In theory, RMPs are comprehensive blueprints that balance uses on public lands such as livestock grazing, coal and oil development, hunting, off-roading, archaeological protection and more. The documents involve extensive public input.
Republicans say the Biden-era RMPs unfairly punished coal, oil, gas and other natural resources extraction industries. But Democrats say the GOP is now tilting the scales too much in favor of those industries — throwing out extensive work that went into the RMPs by overturning them through the CRA process.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico, on Wednesday recalled the efforts behind the RMP for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in his state.
“It came after years of engagement with public lands users,” he said on the Senate floor. “From comment periods, to public meetings, to feedback sessions, input from public lands users is the heart of how we administer our public lands across the country.
“I’m here now because Republicans want to rescind these land use plans through the Congressional Review Act. By doing that, they brush away all of the local voices.
“Imagine telling tribal authorities that their opinion no longer matters on their ancestral lands. Telling hunters that their opinion no longer matters on the lands they use to fill their families’ freezers.”
Short-Sighted, Illegal
Wyoming’s delegation made clear in their announcement that their bill simply reverses Biden’s anti-coal posture in the nation’s No. 1 coal-producing state.
U.S. Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman said the Biden administration’s move was illegal.
“This clear violation of the law would devastate jobs, local economies, and end our ability to provide affordable, reliable energy,” the Wyoming congresswoman said.
Sean Barry can be reached at sean@cowboystatedaily.com.
