Thomas against forest drilling

Wyoming’s senior U.S. senator believes, as a general rule, that national forest lands should be off-limits to oil and natural gas drilling.

Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo., said Wyoming needs to be aware of how it wants to look in 30 years. The state must consider what areas to protect, particularly given the expansion of energy development.

“It’s good, I think, to raise the point early,” Thomas said.

Thomas toured the Hoback Ranches subdivision Saturday near Bondurant, about 35 miles southeast of Jackson. The federal government has sold leases for energy development in the area, as well as in the Wyoming Range to the south, but has not yet issued drilling permits.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal also wrote to federal officials protesting the sale of leases in the Wyoming Range, but the leases were sold at auction early this month nonetheless.

“Frankly, even though it’s been leased, my general feeling is we shouldn’t be drilling in national forests,” Thomas said. He said the forests have been set aside as areas with special scenic, recreational and historic qualities.

“They’re there for special reasons and I don’t think we should diminish those reasons,” Thomas said.

Thomas said he intends to work with Bridger-Teton and Shoshone forest officials to seek increased protection for national forest lands during the process of revising current forest management plans.

He said he hopes land managers take a hard look at applications for permits to drill on existing forest leases.

“I would hope they would come to the conclusion in this instance it’s not necessary to drill in this area,” Thomas said.

Lands in the Wyoming Range include roadless areas, he said. “Even if you do it well, you’re changing the character of these lands,” Thomas said of possible drilling.

The senator has worked to curtail energy exploration in critical areas of Wyoming for several years. He proposed a ban on energy exploration on areas of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and recently worked to reduce the area of the Wyoming Range open for exploration from 175,000 acres to the 44,000 acres recently offered in the lease sale.

“If you continue to expand drilling, it’s going to make an impact on the overall thing,” Thomas said.

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