FIELD NOTES


Star-Tribune profile of Tom Bell

THE CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE, Wyoming’s statewide newspaper, ran a compelling profile of Wyoming Outdoor Council founder Tom Bell this week, as part of the paper’s They Served With Honor series. Here’s an excerpt: How ironic, he thought. Red, white and blue. 1st Lt.Tom Bell cocked his head to the side and stared out of a dome […]

New ‘fracking’ rules approved

Drilling on the Pinedale Anticline, photo by Linda Baker THE WYOMING OIL AND GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION has unanimously approved new rules that will require companies operating in Wyoming to disclose the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” process. The new regulations were championed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who sits on the commission, as […]

The Outdoor Council launches a new energy program

By Richard Garrett, Jr. IN RECOGNITION OF THE CRITICAL CHALLENGES that energy development, generation, and transmission pose to our core mission, the Wyoming Outdoor Council has initiated an energy program. We believe this new program is an important addition to our portfolio and will give us the chance to better represent our members’ interests and […]

Interior Finalizes Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reforms

THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT finalized several reforms to its onshore oil and gas program today, as part of Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s promise to change how the Department of the Interior does business, according to a media release from the U.S. Department of the Interior. The reforms will improve environmental protection […]

Earth Day: Remembering Sen. Craig Thomas

ON THIS EARTH DAY the Wyoming Outdoor Council is remembering and reflecting on the contributions of Wyoming’s late Sen. Craig Thomas, who was the original champion of the historic legislation that would eventually be called the Wyoming Range Legacy Act. The Wyoming Range Legacy Act was introduced by Sen. John Barrasso in honor of Sen. […]

Happy birthday, John Muir!

JOHN MUIR, ONE OF OUR NATION’S PIONEER CONSERVATIONISTS, was born on this day in 1838. The Wyoming Outdoor Council has immense gratitude for Mr. Muir’s lifetime of conservation and preservation work, and his priceless contributions to our nation’s natural heritage. Here is a quote to contemplate, in celebration of what would be Mr. Muir’s 172nd […]

Opinion: Governor charts correct course on fracking rules

AN EXCERPT FROM THE OPINION PAGE of today’s Casper Star-Tribune, from a piece about reforming the way Wyoming regulates hydraulic fracturing: The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has delayed making a final decision until June on reporting requirements about chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing. But based upon questions about the process that the commission […]