JACKSON - U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas said a development plan for the Jack Morrow Hills area needs time to play out before more stringent environmental protections are enacted.

Thomas made his comments Monday after meeting with representatives of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation last week in Washington, D.C. The group asked the senator to consider legislation creating a "national conservation area" of 400,000 acres in the 622,000-acre Jack Morrow Hills area to protect wildlife.

"After a nine-year public process, many protections have been put forward that I believe adhere to a multiple-use strategy for public lands," Thomas, R-Wyo., said in a statement. "However, the public needs to remain engaged, and the implementation of this plan needs time to play out."

Thomas also said a number of protections are outlined in the Bureau of Land Management's Jack Morrow Hills record of decision, released in July. Among those are 179,000 acres off-limits to oil and gas development, 116,000 acres of wilderness study areas, and 135,000 acres of "critical environmental concern."

Dave Gowdey, executive director of the WWF, said his group is concerned the protections in the plan are bureaucratic and not legal protections.

The BLM is not now planning to allow oil and gas development in some areas, "but they could rescind that tomorrow," he said. "Without that permanent protection, we think there could be this sword hanging over areas like the Steamboat elk herd."

Bruce Hinchey with the Petroleum Association of Wyoming said last month the BLM plan was a good compromise, and he echoed those comments Monday. He said half of the Jack Morrow Hills area is off-limits to development according to the BLM's plan for various reasons, including environmental protections.

"So it starts getting down to where there's not a whole lot out there they are going to leave open for exploration," he said.

He also said there has been development in the area since the 1920s, and wildlife has continued to do well in the area.

"Their opposition and their reasoning to me doesn't make a lot of sense, because we have proven over and over again that even with development, the animals do do well and will continue to do well," Hinchey said.

The Jack Morrow Hills plan foresees development of 255 more oil and gas wells in the 622,000-acre area, although it does not set a cap on the number of wells. There are now about 200 wells in that area of the Red Desert.

Joy Owen with Friends of the Red Desert, a group also involved with the senator's meeting, said the public has spoken with the Jack Morrow Hills, as nearly 80,000 public comments were received by the BLM as the plan was being developed - most in favor of more stringent protections for the area.

"Wyoming lands are overwhelmed with oil and gas development at this time, and basically at this time multiple use can't coexist very easily with oil and gas development," she said. "Although there are some safeguards, (the BLM decision) didn't respond to what the public had wanted and does still want."

Thomas did leave the door open for future protection.

"It may be appropriate as time goes by to provide for wildlife corridors to protect some of the open space areas," he said, "to ensure that wildlife can make the appropriate movement within the Hills."

Environmental reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@tribcsp.com.

NewsTracker

* Last we knew: The BLM released a management plan for the Jack Morrow Hills area of the Red Desert last month.

* The latest: Wildlife advocates asked U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas for more stringent protections in the area.

* What's next: The senator said the plan as written should be allowed to play out, but he left the door open to possible protection later.