ELR Citation: 55 ELR 20004
No(s). 22-CV-247-SWS, 22-CV-252-SWS, and 23-CV-001-SWS (D. Wyo. Dec 31, 2024) (Skavdahl, J.)

A district court upheld in part and remanded in part DOI's decision to refrain from holding lease sales of federal land for oil and gas development during the second and third quarters of 2021 and the third and fourth quarters of 2022. Oil and gas industry groups challenged the lack of lease sales for the third and fourth quarters of 2022, and the state of Wyoming challenged the lack of sales covering Wyoming lands during the second and third quarters of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022. The court found the groups lacked standing to assert their claims concerning the 2022 lease sales and that BLM's exercise of discretion to forego the 2021 lease sales was not arbitrary and capricious or a violation of the Mineral Leasing Act, but that the record revealed no basis or reasoning for BLM's exercise of discretion not to hold a lease sale in Wyoming during the third quarter of 2022. It directed the parties to file supplemental briefing on the appropriate remedy to address BLM's unsupported exercise of discretion in foregoing the third quarter Wyoming lease sale.