JACKSON, WY — USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie signed a Record of Decision on Oil and Gas leasing in the Wyoming Range on Tuesday, January 17.
The question of oil and gas leasing in the Wyoming Range has been an ongoing debate for about a decade. The group Citizens for the Wyoming Range formed to advocate for wildlife and recreation. In 2009 the Wyoming Range Legacy Act was passed with bipartisan support, but it didn’t settle the question of the original 40,000 acres already leased. The Record of Decision finally resolves that question. A press release from the Forest Service follows:
In 2009 the Wyoming Range Legacy Act was passed with bipartisan support, but it didn’t settle the question of the original 40,000 acres already leased. The Record of Decision finally resolves that question. A press release from the Forest Service follows:
Jackson, Wyo January 17, 2017 — Today, the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Forest Service’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) was signed by Under Secretary Robert Bonnie.
The signed ROD selected the “no leasing” alternative for oil and gas leases on 39,490 acres on the eastern slope of the Wyoming Range within the boundary of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Sublette County, Wyoming. Based upon overwhelming public comment and significant recreation, wildlife and watershed values identified, no leasing was the selected alternative.
The FSEIS and the ROD are available on the Bridger-Teton National Forest webpage.
