Wyoming Lawmakers Advance Push for State Control Over Federal Mineral Leasing

TLDR

The committee advanced two major joint resolutions and discussed updates to Wyoming’s Good Neighbor Authority program:

1. State Management of Federal Mineral Leases (26LSO-204) – The committee approved a resolution asking Congress to let Wyoming manage oil, gas, and coal leasing on federal lands within the state, aiming for more autonomy and reduced delays from federal moratoriums.
2. Federal Mineral Royalty State Share (26LSO-166) – Lawmakers voted to request Congress increase Wyoming’s share of federal mineral royalties from 50% to 87.5%, matching an earlier recommendation from the Appropriations Committee. Members argued this change would recover lost state revenue and reflect Alaska’s higher share (90%).
3. Good Neighbor Authority Expansion – Discussion centered on improving collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service to speed up forest management, logging, and wildfire mitigation. Lawmakers highlighted how prior fuel reduction efforts saved millions during the Willow Creek Fire and called for removing position caps to expand the program.

📘 What You Need to Know

• Both mineral bills passed committee votes unanimously (6-0) and will move forward as joint resolutions to Congress.
• Legislators emphasized state sovereignty, noting Wyoming can “do it better” than the federal government in managing mineral and timber resources.
• The Good Neighbor Authority was praised as key to wildfire prevention and forest health, with committee members calling for “getting it over the finish line” this session.
• The tone throughout was one of urgency and unity: Wyoming should “control its own destiny” in energy and resource management.

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