Winter 2010 Change on the Horizon Wyoming in transition 2 43 How the elections could Years affect energy policy 4 Cover photo by Jeff Vanuga Jeff by photo Cover Wyoming Outdoor Council Established in 1967, the Wyoming Outdoor Council is the state’s oldest statewide conservation organization. Our mission is to protect Wyoming’s environment and Wyoming in T ransition quality of life for future generations. For more information contact: Wyoming Outdoor Council 262 Lincoln St., Lander, WY 82520 or 121 East Grand Avenue, Suite 200 How we’re navigating Laramie, WY 82070 the change wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org 307-332-7031 (phone), 307-332-6899 (fax) [email protected] Board of Directors Kathy Lichtendahl, Clark President Tony Hoch, Laramie Secretary John Guerin, Laramie Treasurer Keith Rittle, Laramie Member at Large Scott Copeland Tom Bell, Lander Emeritus Harold Bergman, Laramie Janice Harris, Laramie BY LAURIE MILFORD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Terry Jones, Wheatland and opinion site 24/7 Wall St. in 2010 as be- between development and conservation. movement to protect the range originated as including adopting groundbreaking rules in Barbara Parsons, Rawlins ing the best-run state in America. From the Outdoor Council’s perspective, a cooperative effort among a diverse coalition 2010 that require companies to disclose the Anthony Stevens, Wilson In a period of strident partisan politics at Governor Freudenthal didn’t always make of hunters and anglers, labor unions, ranch- chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. the national level, Mr. Freudenthal, a Demo- the right decisions. At times, the conserva- ers, landowners, and conservationists—but Another great accomplishment of the Freu- Staff Laurie Milford crat in a largely Republican state, was a force- tion community found itself at odds with his Governor Freudenthal’s support was crucial denthal administration was the establishment Executive Director ful but nonpartisan chief executive. He leaves administration. And many of the Council’s to the ultimate success of the legislation. We and continued growth of the Wyoming Wild- Richard Garrett office with approval ratings from Wyoming 1,400 members felt he didn’t do enough to couldn’t have done it without him. life and Natural Resources Trust. Appointing Energy and Legislative Advocate Democrats, Republicans, and Independents protect Wyoming’s environment, especially Bob Budd to be the executive director has Bonnie Hofbauer in the 80 percent range. when it came to regulating coalbed methane Progress for the environment also proven to be a good choice. !"#$%&'()(*%+& One of the reasons for his popularity, it water in the Powder River Basin. amid a drilling boom Freudenthal was instrumental in helping Steve Jones seems to me, is that Governor Freudenthal Yet his door was always open, and he was On Dave Freudenthal’s watch, Wyoming hunters, landowners, and conservationists Watershed Protection Program Attorney ran the state according to what he and willing to consider a well-reasoned argument experienced an unprecedented oil and gas (including the Wyoming Outdoor Council) Nathan Maxon his advisers thought best, not according to and a well-thought-out compromise. This was boom, which generated some tremendous convince the federal Bureau of Land Manage- Energy and Public Lands Fellow Lisa Dardy McGee what a political party would promote. He perhaps his most admirable trait as a leader. benefits for the state. It created good-paying ment in 2008 to protect essential big-game National Parks and Forests Program Director n January 3, 2011, Matt Mead will seemed always to have his eye on both the Most importantly, from my perspective, jobs, boosted Wyoming’s economy, and migration corridors in the Pinedale area. Chris Merrill move into the governor’s office in Wyoming economy and on the Wyoming Governor Freudenthal was willing to be an helped improve education funding, among He helped turn a bad proposal into a better Communications Director OCheyenne, marking a major transi- quality of life. And he didn’t hesitate to make advocate for special places on public lands; he many other things. But the boom also 20-year plan for BLM lands in the Pinedale Sophie Osborn tion for Wyoming and the start of a new era. difficult decisions. stood up, repeatedly, and argued that some brought some serious, and well-documented area. Finalized in 2008, the new plan makes Wildlife Biologist, Wildlife Program Manager In the months prior to the 2010 elec- When the Great Recession began in 2008 Wyoming landscapes should be off-limits to environmental costs. more than half of the area’s public lands Bruce Pendery tion, many people throughout the political and early 2009, Governor Freudenthal im- development. The most outstanding example In the face of numerous threats to Wyo- unavailable for oil and gas development, yet Staff Attorney and Program Director spectrum were looking at Governor Dave mediately pushed the legislature to cut the of this was his unwavering support for the ming’s wildlife, air, water, and way of life, allows development and drilling to continue, Linda Sisco Freudenthal’s departure with at least a bit state budget by 10 percent across the board. Wyoming Range Legacy Act, introduced by Governor Freudenthal made decisions that in a concentrated, phased fashion, around Administrative Assistant Gary Wilmot of trepidation. As we emerge from this recession, Wyo- Senator John Barrasso and signed into law in we disagreed with. But he was also willing to the Jonah and Pinedale Anticline natural gas Associate Director Mr. Mead’s resounding victory in Novem- ming is one of the few states that still has an 2009, which removed 1.2 million acres of the work with the Outdoor Council to find some fields. Addressing the continued decline of Jamie Wolf ber shows that the electorate by and large felt operating surplus. This is important to note, Bridger-Teton National Forest from future oil balance and in some cases usher in some mule deer on the anticline will test Governor- Outreach Coordinator most confident handing him the keys to the because while other states are struggling and gas leasing. spectacular progress. elect Matt Mead’s dedication to conservation. car—perhaps because he seemed likely to with deficits, Wyoming has the capacity to The push for this legislation began in 2005 Wyoming has, in fact, taken the lead on In 2010 Wyoming finalized its laudable pick up where Mr. Freudenthal left off. After make careful choices and implement strong on the heels of our legal challenge to new oil high-profile environmental issues in recent and eminently practical plan to protect sage- all, Wyoming was cited by the financial news environmental protections to strike a balance and gas leasing in the Wyoming Range. The years—often in the name of state primacy— grouse. Governor Freudenthal’s executive Continued on page 6 2 I wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org I 3 Energy, Policy, and Wyoming “The Wyoming Outdoor Council has become a leading source for good, science- based infor- mation about the interac- tion of energy development How the elections could and the affect energy policy environment. As an owner of a renewable energy company, I ap- preciate that the Outdoor Coun- cil understands that the issues are complex, and that renewable Chris Merrill energy, done responsibly, will benefit both the environment and BY RICHARD GARRETT, ENERGY AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE the economy. The Council knows The fact is that forces outside of the state better energy security—energy development policy that works the way it needs to; in Wyoming, too), their implementation are presenting new challenges to Wyoming’s and consumption and the way they interact that thinks that we shouldn’t be work- will almost certainly present challenges for that the only way to achieve sus- traditional economic balance of energy with Wyoming’s environment and our quality ing on energy independence ... Ameri- Wyoming. tainable solutions in Wyoming development, agriculture, and tourism, and it of life could profoundly shift. can people are expecting, and what we If adopted, California’s new energy policy will be to work with as many is crucial that we influence them for a better Governor-elect Matt Mead and President owe them, is to focus on those issues might significantly reduce Wyoming’s ability stakeholders as possible, includ- outcome for the state and our rich natural Barack Obama have, in their own ways, that affect their jobs, their security, to sell energy or energy resources to that environment. signaled to Wyoming that we should antici- and their future: reducing our deficit, state, one of the country’s leading energy ing the energy industry.” An authoritative energy outlook study pub- pate this shift. We at the Wyoming Outdoor promoting a clean energy economy. consumers. —Scott Kane, founder of Creative lished in July of 2010 by the U.S. Department Council have taken note and are ready to —President Barack Obama, speaking at A new policy could, for example, put Energies, Wyoming’s largest provider of of Energy forecasts that the world’s coal con- work even harder to make sure we preserve his post-midterm election news conference, our nascent wind-energy industry at risk if distributed renewable energy sources sumption will increase by 56 percent by 2035. the state’s environment and quality of life. November 3, 2010 California decides it wants somehow to favor While the consumption rate for coal in most Here is our perspective. locally produced, “green” electrons over im- of the wealthier nations will be relatively flat Before the election, Governor-elect Matt ported ones. Meanwhile, a new policy could Each year Wyoming Outdoor over the next 25 years, it is predicted to sky- A critical year for Wyoming Mead generally described how important it also reject Wyoming’s coal-fired, “brown” Council staff and volunteers work rocket in emerging and developing countries.