Atlantic Rim Information
- Atlantic Rim Legal Action Press Release
- Read the TRCP's formal comments on the Doty Mountain proposal.
Some places in the West go forgotten just because of their isolation. These areas frequently offer exceptional opportunities for hunting and fishing, great wildlife resource values, and few enough visitors that they aren’t overcrowded. Wyoming’s Atlantic Rim is such a place, home to literally thousands of elk, mule deer, pronghorn and sage grouse. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department ranks this region second only to the Upper Green River as the most productive for wildlife in the state. People come from all over Wyoming, the nation and the world to hunt the Atlantic Rim.
Given the amazing wildlife values of the Atlantic Rim, the TRCP has made it a top priority to conserve the Rim’s hunting opportunities through use of the FACTS approach to promote responsible energy development in the area. However, plans are currently underway for an energy development project on the Rim that would consist of 270,080 acres, 2,000 new wells and a lifespan of 30-50 years. In addition to the wells, the Atlantic Rim project would include 1,000 miles of new roads, upgrades of existing roads and 1,000 miles of pipeline construction, plus 1,480 acres of ancillary facilities.
The proposed project could alter or block mule deer movement along existing migration routes, and it certainly would increase disturbance and big game vulnerability. The increased road density, traffic, noise and dust of development could displace big game species. As recent peer-reviewed scientific studies demonstrate, increases in road densities negatively impact mule deer and elk, cause decreases in the buck-to-doe and bull-to-cow ratios and eliminate valuable secure habitat that allows animals to reach mature age classes.
In the planning document for the Atlantic Rim energy development project, the BLM states, “The duration of the effects would be for the life of the project (30-50 years) and may affect more than one generation of recreation user. This could have a serious financial effect on commercial big game outfitters that rely on wildlife and knowledge of the critical impact area for successful hunts.” The report also affirms, “The natural setting would be converted to an industrialized setting by development of the Proposed Action.”
The TRCP has deployed exhaustive efforts to negotiate with the BLM on the Atlantic Rim in order to advance the project in a way that balances energy development with wildlife. Unfortunately, the BLM chose to proceed in disregard of the best available science and its multiple-use mandate. On Aug. 17, 2007, the TRCP filed a lawsuit against the BLM due to the agency’s mismanagement of the Atlantic Rim project. This suit represented a major step for TRCP and not one that this organization took lightly. However, the TRCP strongly believes that in the case of the Atlantic Rim, the evidence speaks for itself, and that evidence compels pursuit of all remedies available under the law. TRCP is committed to working in the interests of American sportsmen by ensuring responsible energy development that minimizes impacts to fish and wildlife habitat.
 |
 |
 |
