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The state of Wyoming is looking to purchase 1 million acres of land and 4 million acres of mineral rights from Occidental Petroleum—possibly the largest land purchase by a U.S. government since Alaska. The land, which largely follows I-80, was originally granted to rail companies by the federal government in a checkerboard pattern to facilitate the construction of the transcontinental railroad more than 150 years ago.
Legislators in Wyoming are considering how to pay for the land, the price of which could exceed $1 billion. While lawmakers are considering issuing bonds and raiding the state's rainy day fund, they hope that revenue from oil and gas leasing, grazing, and rights of way will eventually pay dividends.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon hopes the purchase can increase public access and protect wildlife, noting, "I don’t know what the return on that is, but in terms of being able to talk about … migration corridors and wildlife herds and opportunities for outdoor recreation and places that can be open to renewables, all that sort of stuff … it’s a real opportunity to think big."
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It’s tempting to say that the public spoke up, the agency listened, and the system worked, but that would not be an accurate telling. This illustrates…what ‘energy dominance’ run amok looks like.”
