CASPER, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon on Tuesday blasted the Bureau of Land Management’s final decision to end coal leasing in the Power River Basin. Gordon promised litigation and an appeal to the incoming Donald Trump presidential administration, which is expected to be friendlier to legacy energy industries.
“BLM’s decision intentionally ignores both the energy needs of our nation and the devastating economic impacts its decision has on Wyoming and its communities,” Gordon said in the release.
BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning signed the final amendment to the agency’s Buffalo Resource Management Plan on Nov. 20. The final report is available here.
The agency cited federal policy under President Joe Biden to reduce climate change and a waning demand for coal as the U.S. energy market trends toward renewables. The decision makes 48.12 billion short tons of coal in Campbell County unavailable for further leasing. The BLM said existing leases would support development through 2041.
The BLM’s record of decision notes that Gordon challenged the plan by identifying 11 inconsistencies between the plan and Wyoming’s constitution, statutes, and natural resource plans for Campbell and Johnson Counties.
“The State Director decided not to accept the Governor’s recommendations as the Proposed RMP Amendment is consistent with federal policies and programs,” the decision read. “The Governor appealed the State Director’s decision to the BLM Director who determined that the Governor’s recommendations were not in balance with the national interest.”
Gordon confirmed the challenges in his statement on Tuesday.
“Throughout the plan amendment process, and most recently in the Governor’s Consistency Review, Wyoming has raised countless issues with the Buffalo RMP,” Gordon said.
“The BLM simply ignored the State’s concerns. It is apparent BLM has ramrodded this plan through the federal administrative process, rather than addressing legitimate grassroots issues identified by the State and its counties. This is not a balanced resource management strategy, but an anti-fossil fuel, politically-motivated action taken before the door slams on this administration.
The State of Wyoming will seek every remedy to overturn this decision, including litigation. We will also work with the incoming Wyoming Congressional Delegation and the Trump Administration to reverse this foolhardy decision.”
-Governor Mark Gordon
