Citizens' Daily Lobby

Send a letter urging the US Forest Service to finalize a “no leasing” preference for part of the valuable Wyoming Range and to prevent further exploitation of this essential ecosystem.  The Wilderness Society makes it easy with an e-letter.   The Society explains the situation:

The Wyoming Range is an isolated range of peaks rising up from sloping foothills and vast sagebrush plains located in western Wyoming at the southern end of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It contains summer range for the largest mule deer herd in the lower-48, and is home to half of Wyoming’s moose. It also contains blue-ribbon native cutthroat trout fisheries, elk and pronghorn. Its lush habitat and scenic vistas are treasured by Wyoming families and visitors alike.

In 2005 and 2006 the Forest Service identified 44,700 acres for new leasing on the eastern flanks of the range in the wildlife-rich foothills, mostly in the Horse, Beaver and Cottonwood drainages.

These proposed leases have been sold at a series of auctions, triggering growing waves of protests and appeals from many corners, including the governor, labor groups, outfitters, property owners, sportsmen groups, and conservationists.

The threat of additional leasing mobilized a growing coalition that joined together to pass legislation in Congress to prohibit future oil and gas leasing in this scenic landscape. Now we have to finish the job by supporting the Forest Service’s withdrawal of these leases. Once this is done, the Wyoming Range Legacy Act will ensure that these lands are forever prohibited from future oil and gas development!

This is an important decision that demonstrates balance. Already, adjacent to these forest lands, there are thousands of oil and gas wells on BLM lands, with over 9,000 additional wells projected to be drilled in the region. Some of our most special public lands must remain free from industrial development to support other uses and values.

This won’t be the last battle for the Wyoming Range, however. After this is over, more work and public engagement from our supporters will be needed for one last project, as the Forest Service continues a separate process to consider authorizing 136 new gas wells in a roadless part of the Range near the Upper Hoback River.

To learn more about the Wyoming Range campaign visit www.wyomingrange.org