BLM 2015 Resource Management Plan
Reverse Chronological Order
Notes:
Travel Planning, designating specific routes for public motorized or non-motorized use, was included in the resource management planning process - until the final step when it was deleted. (See comments below.) That travel planning became a beginning point for travel planning restarted in 2018. See BLM 2021 Travel Management Plan.
The 2015 RMP recommended Withdrawal from Mineral Entry for all the 47,027 acres of WSAs, LWCs, and ACECs in the Pryors. As of 2022 none of these areas have been actually withdrawn. This is a significant threat to the protection of these areas - particularly due to the notorious 1872 Mining Law. For example see BLM 2020 Gypsum Mine Environmental Assessment.
September 15, 2015: BLM released the Approved Resource Management Plan (ARMP). The entire Travel Planning section of the June Proposed RMP was deleted from the September Approved RMP.
June 29, 2015: The Pryors Coalition and allied organizations submitted a letter protesting the June 1, 2015 Proposed RMP and FEIS. Note that this letter was drafted by the Western Environmental Law Center for several organizations, and is about the entire Billings Field Office planning area. It includes more than just the Pryors.
The Pryors part of the protest: Although we were pleased with BLM’s designation (for the first time) of a few non-motorized routes, we protested the inadequate number of such routes - about 15 miles vs about 116 miles of designated public motorized routes. We also objected to the severe weakening (compared to the draft RMP) of the restrictions on driving off-road to dispersed camping sites. After commending BLM again for the Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (LWC) designations in the Pryors we argued for one more small LWC. We also objected again to the many miles of administrative routes designated without any identified purpose. See Pryors Coalition et al. 2015 Protest Letter
June 1, 2015: BLM released their Proposed Resource Management Plan (PRMP) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Billings planning area including the Pryors. Anyone who had commented on the draft RMP was eligible to protest features of the PRMP and FEIS. The Travel Management section of the PRMP included designation of non-motorized routes - unlike the 2013 draft RMP which only designated motorized routes.
June 26, 2013: The Pryors Coalition submitted a detailed letter commenting on BLM’s 2013 draft RMP and EIS. In our letter we thanked BLM for designating a number of Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (LWCs) adjacent to previously designated Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). These effectively enlarge these WSAs by nearly 11,504 acres. We objected strenuously to BLM’s failure to designate foot-trails in the Travel Plan part of the RMP, and thoroughly explained the need for such designations. We made detailed proposals for a number of routes suitable for designated foot-trails. We also thanked BLM for their policy regarding driving off-road to dispersed camping sites which was substantially more enlightened than the CGNF policy. See Pryors Coalition 2013 Comment Letter.
March 29, 2013: BLM released, for public comment, a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Billings Field Office planning area. The plan area includes the Pryor Mountains. Often RMPs do not include Travel Planning with specific route designations. They may include some general policies regarding travel routes. However this RMP did include a specific Travel Plan section. Unfortunately the Travel Plan included ONLY motorized routes. No non-motorized routes (i.e. foot-trails) were proposed.