Lawsuit and agency opposition to BLM oil and gas leases

Conservation groups Wilderness Workshop and The Wilderness Society have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Denver against the federal government. The suit alleges that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) violated federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, by approving oil and gas lease sales in June across approximately 430 square miles in Wyoming and northwest Colorado.

The plaintiffs argue that the BLM prioritized energy development over environmental protections, specifically disregarding potential harm to sensitive areas and critical big game migration corridors for species such as Baggs mule deer and Sublette pronghorn. The lawsuit names the U.S. Department of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and acting BLM directors, including acting Wyoming Director Kris Kirby, as defendants.

The contested sales in Wyoming included 102 parcels totaling $34.7 million, facilitated under the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’, which reduced royalty rates from 16.67% to 12.5%. The legal action seeks to halt authorized actions, revoke the leases, and compel the BLM to reconsider the impacts on wildlife habitats.

In a related development regarding upcoming leasing, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Colorado Parks and Wildlife have requested that the BLM remove specific parcels from a proposed December lease sale. These agencies expressed concerns regarding potential impacts on water quality and wildlife habitats, specifically citing the Roan Plateau and the Beatty Canyon Ranch State Habitat Area. This request follows a significant increase in the number of parcels offered for sale in Colorado this year.