Posted Thursday, January 23, 2020 8:20 am

Years in the making, the Bureau of Land Management is on the cusp of purchasing 1,820 acres of land on Sheep Mountain, west of Cody.

On Wednesday, the BLM announced it’s opening a formal public comment period on its plans to buy the land from The Nature Conservancy; Congress provided $1.5 million for the purchase last year, though the actual price won’t be determined until an appraisal is completed.

That’s good news for the grassroots organizations in the area that have been pushing for the purchase for two decades, said Chad Krause, BLM Cody Field Office assistant field manager.

From public meetings held as far back as 1997 to the present, the BLM said it’s “received only positive comments concerning the lands to be acquired.” A long list of organizations, ranging from the Park County Commission to Yellowstone National Park to the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation have gone on record supporting the deal.

“This speaks to how important outdoor recreation and hunting is to the local community,” said Krause.

The land is currently owned by The Nature Conservancy, but it’s surrounded by public land.

The acquisition by the BLM is “good for people who want to see places like that remain undeveloped,” said Park County Commissioner Lee Livingston, adding, “As long as it’s in private hands, there’s always a chance it could be developed.”

Livingston has led federal officials on tours of the property, which is an important wintering ground for elk, deer and wild sheep as well as a popular place for hiking and horseback riding.

“The [land is] critical habitat for the Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bear, Gray Wolf, and Canada Lynx; the terminus of one of the longest, intact elk and mule deer migration corridors in the lower 48 states: and the habitat for numerous rare and threatened plant species all combine to make this parcel uniquely valuable to the public,” says an Environmental Assessment prepared by the BLM.

The purchase will also protect recreational hunting access to more than 17,000 acres of adjacent public land, maintain traditional uses of the land such as grazing and hunting, and conserve critical habitat and migration corridors for elk and mule deer, the environment assessment reports. If the land were to be sold to a private entity, it would deny public access to the 1,820-acre parcel, which in turn would block public access to more than 17,000 acres of adjacent public lands.

“Access would be challenging, if not impossible, without access through this property,” Krause said.

Two years ago there was a big push for the BLM to buy the property, but the funding for the purchase didn’t come through. This year the BLM has received a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the $1.5 million to purchase the property. The South Fork River Special Recreation Management Area meets the criteria for recreational access funding by the LWCF. Krause said the purchase has been studied since 2000.

The BLM is now taking comments on the proposed purchase through Feb. 20. Once the comment period is over — provided the comments support the purchase — the hope is that the transaction will be completed soon, likely by the end of the year.

The Sheep Mountain acquisition would not result in a net gain of federal ownership within the Cody Field Office area; since 1980, the field office has conveyed approximately 31,300 acres while acquiring 17,800 acres through disposal and exchange. For more information on the proposed purchase, or to comment, visit go.usa.gov/xdYqs.