Bureau of Land Management

Working with local communities to preserve wildlife migration is at the heart of a new federal government policy.Wildlife, plant and fish habitats are now considered a priority in federal land-use planning going forward, according to a new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is having to backtrack on a land acquisition in Natrona and Carbon counties that was announced in May.The state of Wyoming filed an appeal in June saying that the agency did not involve the public and that the environmental assessment was not adequate. Some of the concerns include how the recreational setting and fishery would be impacted.

A new paper out of the University of Wyoming projects the economic potential of wind power in the state, highlighting the huge opportunities and challenges unique to Western states amid the growing demand for renewable energy.

There are tens of thousands of horses running wild in the Mountain West. The U.S. government mainly uses roundups to keep them from overgrazing public lands. But advocacy groups want more of a focus on fertility control.

Several recent conflicts over public lands access have made headlines in our region. One of those cases involves a practice called corner crossing, and it could determine whether recreationists can access millions of acres.

Wyoming is home to nearly 4,000 wild horses roaming on public lands, which has often been a controversial topic between ranchers and wild horse proponents. But, a new book by Wyoming author Chad Hanson advocates for the horses' right to live on public land. The book is called "In a land of Awe: Finding Reverence in the Search for Wild Horses." Wyoming Public Radio's Caitlin Tan interviewed Hanson.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is wrapping up its wild horse adoption events in the coming weeks. This is almost a year after one of the largest roundups in state history.

Depending on where you are in the West, certain lands may be ideal for certain energy projects. The Southwest is good for solar, Wyoming has great wind resources and Nevada is ripe for geothermal development.However, according to a new report from the left-leaning Center for American Progress, oil and gas leasing often takes precedence no matter the location.

As part of Wyoming Public Media’s ‘I Respectfully Disagree’ series, four panelists discussed issues surrounding wild horses in the state on a Facebook live.Stakeholders spoke for an hour about topics like herd management, fertility control and holding facilities. Wyoming Public Radio’s Caitlin Tan mediated the conversation.

Wyoming’s oil and gas lease sales of public land concluded June 30. It was the first sale to happen since late 2020 – typically they are four times a year.Two-thirds of the total parcels offered were sold, which is 67,627 acres of Wyoming public land. The other third went unpurchased.