The U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s effort to remove barriers to energy development within the 3.6 million-acre Rock Springs Resource Management Plan area will include revised estimates of oil and natural gas reserves, according to the agency.
“We previously determined the potential for fluid mineral development to be low, especially for the Red Desert area,” Kris Kirby, Wyoming BLM’s acting state director, told a legislative panel Thursday. “However, new technologies and industry interests have changed over recent years, and the reasonably foreseeable development scenarios will be re-evaluated.”
Those initial “low” estimates, which may change dramatically based on new calculations, will potentially be used to reduce restrictions on oil and natural gas development imposed under “area of critical environmental concern” designations in the Rock Springs RMP updated in December. That plan will likely change after a review spurred by President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order, and Interior orders under his administration.
The U.S. Geological Survey — the BLM’s sister agency under the Interior Department — released a report Wednesday revising estimates of “undiscovered, technically recoverable” oil and natural gas reserves underlying onshore federal lands, boasting “significant increases.”
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The Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Field Office, which spans 3.6 million acres, is in red. (BLM)
Factoring in the industry’s advancing technologies, as well as additional surveys and modern modeling, there are 29.4 billion barrels of oil and 391.6 trillion cubic feet of gas underlying onshore federal lands nationwide, according to the USGS. That’s a 274% increase in potentially recoverable oil and a 95% increase in natural gas compared to 1998 estimates.
In southwest Wyoming, and in neighboring parts of Colorado and Utah where the BLM manages much of the oil and natural gas estate, the USGS released new estimates of 703 million barrels of oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Though the Geological Survey didn’t provide context regarding the percentage increase for technically recoverable reserves in the region, Wyoming BLM officials acknowledged that the current Rock Springs management plan was based on “outdated” estimates.
“We’re going to be looking through those reasonable, foreseeable development scenarios,” BLM Wyoming Senior Advisor Brad Purdy told the Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee. “We’ll be working with USGS, we’ll be working with the state of Wyoming and we’ll bring that into that evaluation.”
Rock Springs RMP
Meantime, the BLM is proceeding under the December version of the management plan for the Rock Springs region.
Though the agency is under orders from the Trump White House and Interior to review the plan and remove aspects that may inhibit energy development, the current plan still allows for robust oil and gas development that keeps pace with the industry’s demand, Kirby said. The BLM’s Rock Spring office has approved 27 permits to drill since January and is on track to approve twice that number this year, which is more than each of the last couple of years, she said.
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“So we wanted to make clear that we have continued to permit and to do mineral development within the Rock Springs area and that [the Rock Springs RMP] has not prohibited us from doing that,” Kirby told the committee.
Before the plan was finalized last year, the BLM proposed excluding nearly two-thirds of the Rock Springs management area from potential mineral development by increasing areas of rights-of-way restrictions for things like maintained roads, power lines and pipelines — essential components to drill and ship oil and natural gas. But the agency slashed those restrictions by more than half.
Now, Wyoming lawmakers are eager to see the fruits of the Trump administration’s efforts to open the doors to further mineral development. Still, some on the legislative committee said they worry about what happens when a new leader eventually takes the White House.
“Administrations change all the time,” Casper Republican Sen. Bob Ide said. “Will [the BLM’s changes] get rescinded by the next administration?”
“That’s a great question,” Kirby said. “Our goal is to come up with a durable decision that will kind of survive, you know, different administrations.”
SHOSHONI, Wyo. — A 12-year-old boy from Shoshoni is now the proud holder of the Junior 4-pound Line Class world record for bass after netting a 2-pound, 4-ounce largemouth in August. The boy, coincidentally with the last name Bass, caught the fish at Lake Cameahwait.
According to a release from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Tucker Bass and his father were fishing over the lake on a two-person kayak when the young angler reeled in the record fish. He did so on a rod and reel given to him by his grandfather.
Bass is the first Wyoming resident to hold a world record in any category for largemouth. The International Game and Fish Association oversees all world records for fishing and officially approved Bass’s catch in November.
Wyoming’s state record largemouth was caught in 2018 near Sheridan. A comprehensive list of all Wyoming record fish can be found here.
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“This is an exceptional accomplishment for a young angler,” WGF Lander Region fisheries supervisor Joe Deromedi said in the release. “Tucker’s record highlights not only his skill and dedication, but also the quality fishing opportunities we have in central Wyoming. It’s always exciting to see youth developing a lifelong passion for fishing.”
Bass, an avid fisherman, also earned Trophy Angler status in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Master Angler program in August.
For more information on Tucker Bass’s record catch, see the Wyoming Game and Fish website.
Junior Line class 4-pound world record-holder Tucker Bass (WGF Department)
I know this is going to seem weird to read, but some people think Wyoming isn’t a real place. A fake fantasy world, they’ve only read about in books. Many who live in Wyoming are happy to hear that, because they won’t want to move here, but unfortunately, there’s a guy named Josh Allen who has confirmed that Wyoming is real.
READ MORE: Former Wyoming Coach Reconnects With Current NFL MVP
Josh has become a household name and a hero to young football fans everywhere. Even though the reigning NFL MVP wasn’t born and raised in Wyoming, he picked up on the Cowboy State’s traits. He is polite, kind, and does great things for others, including kids at the Oishei Children’s Hospital.
Josh’s impact on Wyoming is huge, and quite often, you’ll see social media posts from Wyomingites who are watching Josh play in Buffalo. Josh’s favorite wings restaurant ‘Double Dubs’ from Laramie, has won “People’s Choice” multiple times at the National Buffalo Chicken Festival in Buffalo.
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READ MORE: Josh Allen’s Return To Wyoming For Jersey Retirement
Now, Josh’s influence on Wyoming has been highlighted on an episode of the New Heights Podcast hosted by Travis and Jason Kelce. Travis (Taylor Swift’s fiancé) mentioned that when Josh was in Laramie having his jersey retired, the fans in the stands created a giant beer snake, and he was proud of Wyoming.
Josh actually called on a fan to lead the student section to create that beer snake. Check out this TikTok video where the MVP asked a fan to get it done.
@trainwrecksports When QB1 requests a beer snake, you better start drinking! 🍻 🎥 via Bills on IG #BillsMafia ♬ original sound – Trainwreck Sports
During the clip on New Heights, interestingly enough, Jason Kelce, who seems to be quite the tailgate party guy, had never heard of a beer snake, but luckily, Travis explained it to him. And, just like that, Wyoming is on the map.
NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen Makes Return to Wyoming for Jersey Retirement
Josh Allen quarterbacked the Cowboys from 2015-17, leading Wyoming to a berth in the Mountain West Championship game his sophomore season. He declared for the NFL Draft in 2018 and was selected No. 7 overall by the Buffalo Bills.
HULETT, Wyo. — Three travelers are dead after a head-on collision in Crook County on Dec. 9. According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the crash occurred as the result of an unsuccessful attempt to overtake another vehicle on Highway 212 in the far northeast corner of the state.
According to the WHP report, published on the WYDOT website, a Subaru Forester was westbound on the route, heading towards the Montana-Wyoming border, at around 11:52 a.m.
Near milepost 16, the driver of the vehicle reportedly elected to overtake another passenger vehicle ahead of it on the two-lane highway.
While heading west in the eastbound lane, the Forester collided head-on with a Subaru Outback heading eastbound. Both cars came to sudden and uncontrolled stops in the southern road ditch. The other westbound car, which the Forester had originally attempted to pass, was left unharmed.
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The three fatalities have been identified as 29-year-old Johnathan Vought, 73-year-old Eugene Cadwell and 52-year-old Rebecca Cadwell. Vought was reportedly a resident of New York, while both Cadwells resided in Montana.
The report did not indicate who among the deceased were in which car. They were all, however, wearing their seatbelts.
Speed and driver inattention were cited as the primary contributing factors in the incident. Weather conditions, including severe winds, overcast skies and wet roads, were also present during the time of the crash.
A map of the route on which the crash occurred, nestled in the far northeast corner of Wyoming and connecting Montana and South Dakota, can be seen below.
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This story contains preliminary information as provided by the Wyoming Highway Patrol via the Wyoming Department of Transportation Fatal Crash Summary map. The agency advises that information may be subject to change.
