CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Some businesses are welcoming the Bureau of Land Management's plans to curb methane emissions and say they'll push for strong rules in the coming months.

According to Government Accountability Office estimates, taxpayers lose some $23 million a year in royalties when methane, the primary component of natural gas, is wasted through venting, flaring and leaks at well sites.

"Addressing waste is really a good thing for the businesses down the line," said Matt Murdock, chief operating officer for the firm Alert Plus, who works with operators to monitor emissions. "In taking care of our lands, we're taking care of our future, and to have those resources wasted - to have those resources go out with no profit on 'em for anyone - is silly."

According to the BLM, the amount of gas lost from 2009 to 2014 could supply more than 5 million households for a year. The Western Energy Alliance has called the rules "unnecessary regulatory red tape." The BLM estimates the net benefits of capturing methane could outweigh costs to industry by at least $10 million annually.

Research by the consulting firm ICF International estimated that at least $330 million worth of natural gas is lost each year, and a recent Colorado College poll showed that 80 percent of Westerners support limiting methane waste on public lands. Murdock noted that curbing emissions also benefits public health, and monitoring and plugging leaks helps workers at drilling sites, who face the biggest risks.

"These are people who are out there trying to bring us a very precious natural resource that we need as a nation," he said. "So, there are inherent risks that go with it. But wherever we can minimize those risks seems to make the most sense, and it might cost more, but what price do you put on the value of a human life?"

The public will have 60 days to submit comments on the rules once they are published in the Federal Register. The BLM also plans to hold a series of public meetings in February and March.

The ICF research is online at edf.org. The Colorado College poll is at coloradocollege.edu.


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A new federal proposal details which public lands across the West would be open to solar development. Wildlife advocates are glad to see that some - but not much - of Wyoming is included.

The Western Solar Plan by the Bureau of Land Management opens 31 million acres across 11 western states to potential solar-power development. In Wyoming, 3.8 million acres would be open for potential permits, far less than the combined 15 million acres currently available through independent plans from the state's BLM field offices.

Julia Stuble, Wyoming state director for The Wilderness Society, said wildlife is sensitive to development, especially in migration corridors critical to big game - and the plan incorporates new research on the needs of those species.

"Being included in this proactive approach - where BLM is looking at areas to exclude and making those decisions now, and not in response to a project proposal - is just a tremendous update for us," she said.

According to a statement from the White House, the Western Solar Plan streamlines the permitting process and allows the BLM flexibility in permitting. But the agency's actual need for solar development through 2045 is expected to use less than 2% of the 31 million-acre total, or about 700,000 acres.

As the BLM slows coal leasing in the West, Stuble said she hopes to see more moves to conserve wildlife in the energy transition, such as building on lands that have already been disturbed and areas near pre-existing transmission lines. She said she thinks the agency is headed in the right direction.

"The updated programmatic planning, I think, will take us many more steps closer to making sure that we're not siting solar in places that have really important community values, or ecological values." she said.

Stuble said those include lands popular for recreation, as well as those that are important or sacred to tribal nations. The plan is expected to be finalized by the end of this year.


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The City of Longview, in east Texas, will use a $1.3 million federal grant to make upgrades to one of its largest parks.

Teague Park sits in the center of the city and has been used less and less because of its age.

Richard Yeakley, public information officer for the City of Longview, said part of the grant money will be used to create a prominent entryway that will make Teague Park more visible and accessible from U.S. Highway 80.

"It has a wonderful pond, an outdoor amphitheater, a playground, a lot of open space," Yeakley outlined. "And one of the jewels of our community, which is a veteran's memorial plaza which has a to-scale replica Vietnam wall and also memorials to other conflicts."

Additional improvements include extending the city's trail system into the park and building an all-inclusive playground.

The grant money was distributed through the Department of the Interior which awarded more than $250 million to 54 projects nationwide. Yeakley pointed out in addition to the health benefits of a vibrant park system he feels the upgrades will be an economic driver for the city.

"Parks and trails and free outdoor-accessible locations are critical when you are hoping to recruit those young professionals, young families to a community," Yeakley explained. "Secondarily, parks are really valuable recruiting tools."

Longview is one of five Texas cities receiving funding. The federal program advances President Joe Biden's "America the Beautiful Initiative" which aims to address the nature and climate crises, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy by providing outdoor spaces for communities that are park-deprived.


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Visitor spending in and near national parks contributed to the U.S. economy at a record high level last year.

Grand Teton is one park looking at how to manage increasing visitation. Lodging, meals and other 2023 visitor spending in communities near national parks contributed more than $55 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 400,000 jobs, according to the National Park Service. Grand Teton National Park ranks fifth for visitor spending, at nearly $750 million. The park said visitor numbers are increasing and the trend is expected to continue.

Jennifer Newton, social scientist at Grand Teton National Park, said they have been collecting public comments this summer.

"We're really at a phase and a point where we're interested in getting public feedback on what our desired conditions are in the park and what we should be managing for," Newton explained.

After some fluctuations during the pandemic, Newton pointed out visitation rates in 2023 were similar to 2019, though how and when those visitors used the park shifted. According to a July report, 43% agreed Grand Teton National Park was "too crowded."

The visitor spending report also tallies the labor income, value-added and economic output based on each national park and each state. Wyoming ranks high in several of these categories. Newton noted the information is helpful at the local, regional and federal levels.

"That's really helpful whenever you think about things, too, like for every dollar that Congress invests in national parks, there is a greater than $10 return on that investment," Newton emphasized.

In the 2025 federal budget, the Biden administration requested $3.6 billion for the National Park Service, an increase of more than $250 million from the 2024 budget.


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