A Long-Delayed BLM Resource Management Plan in Southwest Wyoming Pits Conservation Against Resource Extraction

By Jake Bolster

For the last 16 years, Joy Bannon has been leading tours of the land near Rock Springs, Wyoming. Usually, Bannon and her cohort mosey through Wyoming’s southwest landscape—home to the sandstone badlands and slithering dunes of the Northern Red Desert, and the Big Sandy Foothills, a sea of sagebrush bordering the Wind River range—in vehicles, chattering over walkie talkies. At a particularly stunning vista, they set out on foot or take to the skies. Flyovers cover more ground, and better showcase the area’s topographical diversity.