GREATER YELLOWSTONE
Safeguarding the Wyoming Range—a place too special to drill In November, the Wyoming Outdoor Council along with four other conservation groups and a local homeowners’ association protested the first of several oil and gas lease sales offered in the Wyoming Range. In April, the BLM dismissed our protest. In response, the Wyoming Outdoor Council and our partners appealed the decision to the Interior Board of Land Appeals and requested the board halt any ground-disturbing activities until it decides the merits of the appeal. Since the board’s decision will likely set precedent for the other lease parcels and because we share the sentiment of most Wyoming citizens that this place is too special to drill, we hope to receive a favorable decision. Contact: Lisa McGee

Keeping the Bridger-Teton a land of many uses. In 2004, ExxonMobil submitted a proposal to the Forest Service to conduct seismic testing in the Lake Ridge area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The proposal was controversial because these operations would have overlapped with the big game hunting season. The Wyoming Outdoor Council joined with the National Wildlife Federation and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation to appeal. Our goal was to protect the interests of hunters and the general public. Through lengthy negotiations with ExxonMobil and the Forest Service, we were able to reach an agreement: ExxonMobil will conduct its operations, but at the start of the hunting season, seismic exploration will cease. This settlement represents the good work that can result from diverse constituencies working together. Contact: Lisa McGee

Protecting roadless areas—one project at a time In April, the Shoshone National Forest released a Decision Notice for the Wiggins Fork vegetation treatment project. Accompanying the original plan for the project, which included thinning, prescribed burning and some commercial logging, was a proposal to build miles of new roads, including some in the Telephone Draw Inventoried Roadless Area. The Wyoming Outdoor Council and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition submitted comments opposing the proposed construction in a roadless area. We were happy to learn recently that the Forest Service has responded to the public’s desire and withdrawn its plans to build roads and conduct logging activities in Telephone Draw. Contact: Lisa McGee

Togwotee Highway reconstruction update. After more than two years, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) announced on May 24, “that the existing highway alignment across Rosie’s Ridge is the most predictable and manageable route for the [Togwotee Highway] project.” WYDOT had been considering a new alignment on the north side of Rosie’s Ridge because of the high cost of mitigating the slides on the existing highway. Conservationists and nearby residents have pushed for maintaining the original alignment rather than cause new impacts to habitat, wildlife and cultural sites by rerouting the road. WYDOT conducted numerous studies that validated our concerns and dropped the northern route alternative. The Wyoming Outdoor Council applauds WYDOT staff for conducting the careful analysis with due public process and for reaching a decision that has the fewest impacts possible. Contact: Meredith Taylor

Protecting Wyoming’s priceless air. The BLM issued its “Record of Decision” approving the Jonah infill natural gas project (3,100 wells) in March. The final environmental impact statement showed there would be significant visibility degradation in protected Class I areas (especially the Bridger Wilderness Area, but impacts will extend to other protected areas, including Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks) and greatly increased levels of ozone, particulate matter, and other pollutants that adversely affect human health. Because of these impacts, the Wyoming Outdoor Council and several other groups appealed this decision asking that the project not be allowed to proceed as approved. Contact: Bruce Pendery

Pinedale Anticline development exploding at what cost?. Dramatic expansion of oil and gas development in the Pinedale Anticline field just south of Pinedale is also being proposed. Up to 7,231 new wells could be drilled in this area of crucial winter range for mule deer and pronghorn and important habitat for sage grouse. Recent research has shown a 46 percent decline in mule deer populations on the anticline due to the oil and gas development and similar impacts on sage grouse populations. The operators in this field are asking to be allowed to drill year-round and to engage in well completions during the winter, both of which adversely affect wildlife. To their credit, industry is proposing some actions (such as drilling many wells from a single pad) that will help reduce impacts. However, we do not think their offers go far enough. The BLM has initiated an environmental impact statement to review this proposal, and the Wyoming Outdoor Council has submitted detailed comments. We will be monitoring the project closely, and will work to ensure that important wildlife resources in the area, as well as air quality, are not damaged by it. Contact: Bruce Pendery

GREATER RED DESERT
Eastern Red Desert industrialization occurring under the radar. In November 2005 BLM released the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Seminoe Road natural gas project (1,240 natural gas wells), in December 2005 it released the draft EIS for the Atlantic Rim project (2,000 wells), and in March 2006 BLM initiated an EIS for the mammoth Continental Divide-Creston project (nearly 9,000 wells). The Wyoming Outdoor Council has submitted comments on all of these projects, focusing on the need to better manage oil and gas development. In addition we raised concerns about reducing impacts to wildlife and air quality. All of these development plans are taking place against the background of an out-of-date land-use plan for the BLM Rawlins Field Office. The BLM is supposedly revising the plan, but it has been languishing for more than a year now. What this means is that all this development is occurring in a haphazard way instead of under a carefully thought-out and up-to-date plan. Contact: Bruce Pendery

STATEWIDE
Keeping Wyoming’s skies clear and its air clean. The Wyoming Outdoor Council is expanding its efforts to protect Wyoming’s air quality into a statewide campaign. Besides the appeal of the Jonah infill project mentioned on the previous page, we are increasingly engaging in a host of air-quality protection efforts. We have begun to submit comments on Clean Air Act permits, and are monitoring other Clean Air Act permitting actions being taken by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). We will also be submitting comments on clean air rulemaking efforts that are being pursued by DEQ. In April, we submitted comments on EPA’s new rules governing particulate-matter pollution. In addition,we are also investigating pollution from coal-fired power plants to make sure these major sources of air pollution are not degrading air quality. And last, because many of the BLM’s projects approving major oil and gas development could have severe impacts to air quality, we will consider challenging those projects on clean air grounds, just as we have the Jonah infill project. Contact: Bruce Pendery

Landfill bill provides cleanup dollars. Many of Wyoming’s 52 operating landfills are leaking, threatening nearby drinking-water wells and human health. The Wyoming DEQ predicts that at least 65 of the 145 operating and closed landfills statewide will eventually leak and contaminate groundwater. To address this problem, the 2006 Legislature passed a landfill bill that established funding for groundwater pollution studies and local planning efforts. Senate File 38 created a $7.97 million matching grant program to help cities and counties monitor and analyze groundwater pollution from operating or closed landfills. The bill also requires cities and counties to prepare solid waste management plans, with $1.3 million available in matching grants. Larger matches will be available for plans including at least two cities and/or counties. By July 2010, the DEQ will complete its report on which landfills cause groundwater pollution and how to pay for the costs of cleanup. Contact: Michele Barlow

Lawmakers take up interim studies. Wyoming legislators have plenty of homework to complete before they return to Cheyenne in January 2007. The interim study list includes important conservation topics such as funding for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department; incentives for new power plants and refineries; condemnation of private land for energy development; mitigation payments for counties impacted by energy development; pricing and taxation of natural gas; assistance to low-income families for heating bills and home weatherization; cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks; and reviewing the 35-acre county subdivision law. Legislative committees will meet periodically until next year’s general session. For more information on study topics and meeting dates, visit the legislature’s web site (http://legisweb.state.wy.us/) or call the Legislative Service Office (307-777-7881). Contact: Michele Barlow