Reclamation and WY State Parks Invites Public Comment on Environmental Analysis for Buffalo Bill

MILLS, Wyo.-- The Bureau of Reclamation, along with Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails, is seeking public comment on an integrated Resource Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (RMP/EA) for Buffalo Bill Reservoir and State Park. The plan outlines potential recreation improvements and other management actions at the reservoir, which Reclamation owns and manages in terms of operations and which Wyoming State Parks manages in terms of recreation.

The draft RMP/EA describes the needs and opportunities; public issues and concerns; goals and objectives; and specific management objectives and the proposed action at the reservoir. Because the reservoir is federally owned and managed, proposed recreation improvements are required to be disclosed and analyzed under the National Environmental Policy Act. The draft RMP/EA also summarizes the public process and identifies potential environmental effects.

Specific and substantial comments received about the RMP/EA during the comment period will be analyzed and responded to by Reclamation and/or State Parks. Comments received will help decision makers determine whether to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact. Comments on the draft RMP/EA should be specific and should address the adequacy of the statement and the merits of the alternatives discussed (40 CFR 1503.3).

The RMP/EA is available at https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/buffalo-bill-master-plan. Copies of the draft RMP/EA and Master Plan are available for review during normal business hours at the Buffalo Bill State Parks Office (4192 Northfork Hwy, Cody, WY 82414), the Cody Library (1500 Heart Mountain St., Cody WY 82414), and Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources (4th Floor, Barrett Building, 2301 Central Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001).

Comments on the RMP/EA will be accepted in writing during the public comment period through June 10, 2024, and can be provided online at:

Online Comment Form: https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/buffalo-bill-master-plan

• E-mail: [email protected]
• Regular Mail: Carly-Ann Carruthers, Planning and Grants Manager
• Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources
• 2301 Central Avenue
• Cheyenne, WY 82002

The public can learn more and provide written comments on the draft RMP/EA at open houses scheduled at the following locations and times:

• Tues., May 28, 2024, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m., Shreve Lodge (45 Lake Side Rd.)
• Wed., May 29, 2024, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Cody Library - Grizzly Room (1500 Heart Mountain St.)

More about the project:

To learn more about the federal RMP and NEPA process, please visit Reclamation's website at: https://www.usbr.gov/gp/nepa/sopa.html#wyaoor by contacting Joseph G. Felgenhauer, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Bureau of Reclamation at 406-247-7746 or [email protected].

Media inquiries or general questions about Reclamation should be directed to Elizabeth Smith at 406-591-4761 or [email protected].

For more information on the Buffalo Bill State Park planning process, please contact Carly-Ann Carruthers, Planning Manager, at [email protected] or 307-777-6968. For information on State Park Operations, please contact Dan Marty, Park Superintendent at 307-587-9227 or [email protected].

Buffalo Bill Dam, constructed on the Shoshone River six miles upstream from Cody, was completed in 1910, creating Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Named for famous Wild West showman, promoter, and developer Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the dam is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The dam, power plants, and reservoir lands are owned by Reclamation, which maintains primary jurisdiction of the lands and associated resources within the reservoir area. Much of the area was designated a State Park in 1957, with the last major overhaul of the park completed in the 1990s after modifications to the dam.

The State Park offers fishing, camping, picnicking, and a variety of water sports in settings that range from remote and primitive to moderately developed. The park currently has three boat ramps, nine developed day-use areas, two group shelters and eleven picnic shelters, and one hundred campsites in two campgrounds which can be reserved through the State Parks Reservation System. Shreve Lodge, which hosts up to 200 and has a large kitchen, is also available to rent for day use.

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