The BLM is attempting to take control of federal lands to the point that they alone would be allowed to decide how it is used, or if it is used at all.
Gordon said, "Enacting a moratorium at a moment when coal is badly needed to ensure a secure and reliable energy supply is wrong-headed on many fronts."
More firefighters continue to arrive on a wildfire burning roughly 50 miles south of Rock Springs in both Utah and Wyoming.
As of noon Thursday, 217 firefighters are battling the Richard Mountain Fire, which has grown to 7,064 acres.
BLM Operations Section Chief Mike Wengert said that "decent weather" has given firefighters an advantage in working the fire...