WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Barrasso’s bill to protect the Wyoming Range reached a key milestone with today’s hearing in the U.S. Senate.
“The Wyoming Range represents the heart and soul of Wyoming ,” Barrasso said. “The hearing today is a major step toward enhancing the tourism, recreation, and the hunting economy of the Wyoming Range . The bill will protect the splendid natural landscapes of the range for future generations of Wyomingites.”
The hearing on the “Wyoming Range Legacy Act” took place in the Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee, of which Barrasso is the lead Republican.
“Wyoming has a proud heritage of providing abundant, affordable, and domestic energy across America . I support Wyoming ’s extractive industries and am proud of the environmentally responsible manner in which they operate. Like my predecessor, Senator Craig Thomas, I also believe some places are simply too special to develop.”
“This legislation is supported by a diverse group of allies, and a majority of Wyoming residents. Too often legislation crafted in Washington loses sight of the people directly affected. In this case, the ideas are being generated on the ground, and we are providing a vehicle for their vision.”
In prepared comments submitted to the committee, Governor Dave Freudenthal said: “I thank Senator Barrasso for his initiative and for continuing the legacy of the late Senator Craig Thomas to protect the people’s backcountry. At the end of the day, we must make sure that Wyoming is a place where people want to live long after the oil and gas companies have moved on. This means finding a balance. Protecting places like the Wyoming Range will help to strike that balance.”
S. 2229 will protect more than 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range by prohibiting future oil and gas leasing, while allowing a buy-out process that respects the property rights of current leaseholders.
The bill allows the remaining leases to be voluntarily purchased, presumably by conservation groups, in order to retire the leases.
Senator Barrasso was instrumental in identifying witnesses for the hearing, both in favor and opposed to the legislation, from a wide array of stakeholders.
Witnesses included Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, Gary Amerine, outfitter and co-founder of Citizens Protecting the Wyoming Range , both of whom spoke in favor of the bill. An opposing view came from Claire Moseley of Public Lands Advocacy.
