I can think of 50 million reasons why a legislative committee shouldn’t waste the state’s money just to make a political statement. That’s one for every buck the panel wants to spend to sue the feds because it’s furious about a land management plan that hasn’t even been finalized.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s draft resource management plan for 3.6 million acres of surface land managed by its Rock Springs Field Office in southwest Wyoming has become the new punching bag for anti-federal angst.

Gov. Mark Gordon, dozens of legislators, U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) and thousands of residents blasted the BLM’s preferred alternative, which would designate half the land as “areas of critical environmental concern.” The plan, opponents contend, threatens state and local interests and economics, including mining, drilling, grazing and recreation.

Opinion

Gordon’s office said it’s already exploring a possible suit, but must wait to see if the plan becomes law. The Joint Agriculture, State and Public Lands & Water Resources Committee unanimously voted to get started now, proposing to put $50 million into a litigation fund to sue the federal government over national environmental and natural land resource laws.

“This [bill] sends a message that we’re getting locked and loaded to not get pushed around anymore from the big guys back in D.C.,” said Sen. Bob Ide (R-Casper).

How did the committee know that it would take $50 million to become sufficiently locked and...

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