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2007 Annual Report Wyoming

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2007 Annual Report Wyoming 40Years Annual Report 2007 Working to protect public lands and wildlife since 1967 Dear Members of the Wyoming Outdoor Council, The word “balance” can mean many things. We like the definition “equilibrium in movement.” It speaks to finding a point that gives equal weight to the benefits of two opposing forces, while minimizing their negatives. This point can continually shift—albeit to a place bounded by reasonable agreement—as the two forces perform their intricate dance of push and pull. Balance is what we seek as we move forward and weigh the importance of protecting Wyoming’s natural landscapes and the benefits derived from energy development, both of which contribute mil- lions of dollars in revenues each year. Wyoming sits at the epicenter of U.S. energy development. We are the nation’s largest coal pro- ducer, accounting for nearly 40 percent of supply. We rank second in proven natural gas reserves and fourth in crude oil reserves. We have the largest known uranium ore reserves of any state. The combined forces of growing global demand, rising costs, finite supplies, and a keen focus on energy independence here in the U.S. continue to exert unrelenting pressure on Wyoming to develop its energy resources. In this new millennium, energy development has accelerated dramatically at the behest of an administration keen to speed up domestic drilling, with little regard to forward-thinking energy policies. In this quest for balance, the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s work in recent years has centered on the environmental impact of this historical energy boom. Although energy prosperity has afforded many benefits to Wyoming residents, we are also witnesses to the boom’s large-scale environmental degradation. We have yet to find a 21st century “equilibrium in movement,” but we sense that we are at an important turning point. Our hope is that President Obama’s “New Energy for America” plan will support Wyoming in achieving the right balance. Most of us want to move toward a place of national energy independence. But how best do we get there? Perhaps Wyoming can lead the way. Ours is a strong position given our compelling menu of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. The year 2007 marked the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Wyoming Outdoor Council, which first opened its doors in September 1967. In this report we share some of our major successes and initiatives for 2007, which we owe in large part to your tremendous support. Sincerely, Anthony Stevens Laurie K. Milford Board President Executive Director Jeff Vanuga Jeff 2 Wyoming Outdoor Council 2007 Annual Report Wyoming. It’s an incredibly special place. Just step outside, stand quietly, and take in the breadth of the vistas that surround you. They are magical and vast. The sky’s boundaries appear limitless and are beyond the measure of your mind’s eye. We are the lucky ones. Our land’s scale and wildness allow us to feel the right size amid the powers of the earth. or 40 years, the Wyoming Outdoor Council has worked to protect Wyoming’s public lands and wildlife. Because of Wyoming’s staggering rate of energy development, our work in recent years has centered on public land manage- Fment and air, water, and wildlife issues related to the energy boom. We are helping Wyomingites to have a strong voice in the future development plans of both our state and federal lands. The Outdoor Council seeks to maintain a balance between energy develop- Jeff Rickerl Jeff ment and protecting Wyoming’s natural heritage. Throughout 2007, with our members, elected officials, land managers, regulators, and industry represen- tatives, we worked for greater accountability and balance in confronting the consequences of our state’s energy boom and its effects on communities. Through a combination of legal action, educational outreach, and impor- tant alliances, we had several major successes in 2007. Here are some highlights: tStaving off new development in the Wyoming Range through the intro- duction of the Wyoming Range Legacy Act by Senator John Barrasso which could ultimately protect 1.2 million acres from future oil and gas leasing; tKeeping the Saratoga Valley from the sale of leases to develop oil and gas; tImproving air quality in the Upper Green River Valley by helping agen- cies to institute tougher pollution standards and limitations on oil and gas development; tPlaying a leading role in improving the Shoshone National Forest and Bridger-Teton National Forest management plans, which will guide future management decisions; Mark Gocke tSupporting an effort to have 180,000 acres in the Adobe Town area of the Red Desert designated as a “very rare or uncommon area” under Wyoming State law; tProtecting important waterways by successfully appealing the reclassifi- cation of three tributaries that flow into Crazy Woman Creek; and tStrengthening our energy policy program to focus on renewable energy, carbon capture, and transmission. Our successes in 2007 were made possible by the generous support of our dedicated members. wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org 3 Brad Christensen Protecting Our Land Wyoming Heritage Landscapes The Wyoming Outdoor Council believes that some areas of our state must remain free from energy develop- ment. We call these areas “too special to drill.” At the same time, public lands that are developed should benefit from the best available technology to minimize impacts. We call this “doing it right.” This philosophy has led us to name several critical areas of public land Wyoming Heritage Landscapes. 1 W Adobeyomin Towng Her itage Landscapes MONTANA Beartooth Front Red Desert 2 SHERIDAN 2 L aBeartoothndscapes to Protec tFront From Oil & Gas Development Fortification BLM areas of critical environmental concern 25 Creek CROOKE Bighorn Basin A A Other BLM lands of interest T PARK T O O K Sundance K Citizens' BLM wilderness proposal areas and A BIG HORN 4 A D D 3 Bridger-Tetonwilderness study area sNational 90 H H T TETON T National parks and monuments WASHAKIE JOHNSON U U Forest Lease Closure Area Worland CAMPBELL O O S S National wildlife refuges U.S. Forest Service national forests (including Wyoming Range, WESTON 4 FortificationBTNF lease closur eCreek, and Bearto oth Front) HOT SPRINGS 3BTNF lease closure Wyoming He ritPowderage L aRivernds Basincapes MONTANA Existing Leases Beartooth Front O H Federal oil & gas leases as of November 2007 A D I 5 Jack Morrow Hills Land Ownership & Administration Red Desert 8 National Park Service NIOBRARA SHERIDAN NATRONA CONVERSE Landscapes to Protect From Oil & Gas Development Wyoming 7 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Range Wind River FREMONT 6 Shirley Basin FronFt ortification U.S. Forest Service national forest 25 BLM areas of critical environmental concern SUBLETTE Creek Southeastern CROOKE U.S. Forest Service national grassland A A Other BLM land s of iWyomingnterest Grasslands T Jack Morrow Hills T Wind River Indian Reservation PARK 5 O O K K Wyoming HCeirtiztaengse' LBaLnMd swc7ialdp eeWindrsness pRiverroposa Frontl areas and Beartooth Front MONTANA Sundance A BIG HORN A PLATTE GOSHEN D 6 D wilderness stud y areasUpper Green 90 Shirley Basin Area LINCOLN H H ALBANY River Valley T TETON T National parks and monuments SHERIDAN Landscapes to Protect From Oil & Gas Development A WASHAKIE JOHNSON A U U K K S Fortification S CAM2P5 BELL BLM area2s5 of critical environmental conc8ern Wyoming Range A Worland A O Creek CARBON O R CROOKE R S S National wildlife refuges B B A A E 9 Other BLM lands of interest E Bridger-Teton T PARK 80 T O O N N K SWEETWATER Sundance K Citizens' BLM wilderness proposal areas and A UINTA BIG HORN A U.S. Forest Serv ice naNationaltional fore sForestts (including Wyoming Range, D D wilderness study areas 90 H H T TETON WESTON T National parkBs TanNd mFon ulemeanstse closure, and Beartooth Front) WASHAKIE JOHNSON LARAMIE U U HOT SPRINGS Worland CAMPBELL 0 25 50 100 Miles O O S S National wildlife refuges BTNF lease closure 1 Leased Lands Wyoming Heritage Landscapes U.S. Forest Service national forests (including Wyoming Range, N MONTANA WESTON ExBTiNstF ilneasge cLloesuares, aends Beartooth Front) NAD 1927 UTM Zone 13N Beartooth Front HOT SPRINGS Greater O U Data Sources: BCA, BLM, SDVC, USFS, USGS BTNF lease cloTsAurHe 9 Atlantic Rim Adobe Town Area Map prepared by Sara Watterson & Doug Pflugh, Earthjustice H COLORADO Existing Leases Federal oil & gas leases as of November 2007 O September 2008 A Red Desert H Federal oil & gas leases as of November 2007 D A I D I Land Ownership & Administration SHERIDAN PublicLandsc Landscapesapes to Pro ttoec tProtect From O Fromil & GOilas &D eGasvelo Developmentpment LandLand OwnershipOwnership & AdministrationAdministration National Park Service NATRONA NIOBRARA Wyoming CONVERSE U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fortification Range Wind BLM areas of critical environmental concern National Park Service 25 Creek River FREMONT Front NIOBRARA U.S. Forest Service national forest CROOKE NATRONA CONVERSE Wyoming SUBLETTE A Range A Other BLM lands of interest U.S. Forest SeUrv.icSe. nFatiiosnhal g&ra sWslandildlife Service T Wind T PARK FREMONT O O Jack Morrow Hills Wind River Indian Reservation River K Front Sundance K Citizens' BLM wilderness proposal areas and U.S. Forest Service national forest A BIG HORN A GOSHEN D SUBLETTE D wilderness study areas PLATTE 90 H H Shirley Basin Area U.S. Forest Service national grassland LINCOLN T TETON T National parks and monuments ALBANY WASHAKIE JOHNSON U U A A K CAMPBELL K Wind River Indian Reservation S Worland Jack Morrow Hills S O O 25 A A S S CARBON R National
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