Joe and Karen Rankin have tended their family ranch north of Douglas, Wyoming, for eight decades. Like many western ranchers, they own the surface of their land but not the mineral rights beneath it. Those rights belong to the federal government and are leased to oil and gas companies. Under current law, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must notify surface owners and allow a 90‑day public comment window before leasing.
Proposed changes could silence landowners
In a June leasing proposal, the Trump administration’s Interior Department seeks to reduce the comment period to just 10 days and eliminate the mandatory notification to split‑estate owners. The agency also wants to lower the minimum bond that companies must post to cover abandoned wells. If adopted, ranchers like the Rankins would lose the ability to weigh in on drilling that runs beneath their pastures.
“Some spots in my area right now look like a spaghetti bowl from all the pipelines that are going through,” Rankin said. He added that orphaned wells have already caused cattle health problems, and that during a blizzard his herd was stranded while developers tried to install a pipeline.
Why the administration supports the changes
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum framed the revisions as a way to cut red tape that “has historically deterred investment,” arguing that a streamlined process will keep public lands a reliable engine for economic growth and innovation. Industry groups praised the proposal, saying it will help smaller oil and gas firms compete and spur job creation in rural communities.
Local opposition rooted in family and faith
Wyoming’s ranching lobby, the Douglas mayor, and legislators from neighboring states have joined the Rankins in opposing the plan. Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, called a 10‑day comment period “unreasonable” for people who are busy haying, feeding cows, and caring for families.
“At a minimum, surface owners should definitely be notified before minerals are put up for lease,” Magagna said. The proposal, critics argue, would strip families of a constitutional right to be heard on matters that affect their health, property, and livelihood.
Public comment has proven value
Gwen Lachelt, founder of the Western Leaders Network, noted that public input has historically improved drilling applications because “no one knows their land better than those people who are being directly drilled on.” She warned that eliminating notification could lead to more orphaned wells and environmental damage that ultimately falls on the community.
The BLM counters that the Mineral Leasing Act does not require landowner notification and that the comment process imposes “undue burdens on the oil and gas industry.” Agency officials say the reduced window simply streamlines the lease‑sale process while preserving other opportunities for input.
What’s at stake for Wyoming families
Nearly 58 million acres of split‑estate land exist nationwide, with more than 11 million acres in Wyoming alone—an area five times larger than Yellowstone. For ranchers, the ability to comment on drilling is not a bureaucratic nicety; it is a safeguard for water quality, cattle health, and the preservation of family farms that have been the backbone of the state for generations.
Comments on the proposal are accepted through August 24 at the TinyURL link provided by the BLM. As the deadline approaches, Wyoming ranchers are urging fellow landowners to make their voices heard before the administration finalizes rules that could reshape the relationship between federal energy policy and the families who live on the land.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
