A 30-day public comment period began today (Nov. 20) for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming’s Rock Springs Field Office’s environmental assessment on the 2014 removal of wild horses from the so-called “Checkerboard” area within the Great Divide Basin, Salt Wells Creek, and Adobe Town herd management areas in Wyoming.

The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact are available online at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/rsfo/Checkerboard.html. Interested parties can also obtain a paper copy of the documents by contacting the field office at 307/352-0256.

The documents were issued in response to the March 3, 2015, United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, Case No. 14-CV-0152-NDF, which remanded BLMs actions under National Environmental Policy Act back to the BLM to remedy.

The BLM said public input is valuable early in the process and will enable the bureau to develop a well-informed environmental assessment. Written comments should be emailed to blm_wy_checkerboard_hmas@blm.gov (include “Checkerboard Removal EA Comment” in the subject line) by Dec 21. Comments can also be mailed or hand-delivered during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to the BLM Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, WY 82901