The proposed oil and gas drilling in the Wyoming Range west of Pinedale, Wyoming presents a new wrinkle in the permitting process. It seems the oil and gas companies are trying to strike a deal with potential opponents before they come to the table with federal land agencies.  As long as the public review process and public input forums are not in any way diminished, this kind of pre-negotiation negotiation could stream line the process.

Federal agencies such as the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are charged and entrusted with managing public lands ‘owned’ by all US citizens, a designation applied to 42% of Wyoming.

They’ll have to be very careful to avoid any impression that the public’s interests are being circumvented by these kinds of proceedings.

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