Wyoming Launches Lawsuit Challenging Biden Administration’s Federal Leasing Ban

The state of Wyoming filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the de-facto moratorium on oil and gas leasing on federal land issued by President Biden and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. The suit asserts that Haaland’s implementation of the leasing moratorium contained in Executive Order 14008 is invalid under federal law. Governor Mark Gordon, during an interview with Sheridan Media Wednesday afternoon, addressed the newly filed lawsuit.

Gordon said a recent economic study indicated that thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of state revenue will be lost.

The lawsuit was filed in Federal District Court of Wyoming and states that the Administration’s action violates the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Mineral Leasing Act and the Federal Land Policy Management Act. The lawsuit asks the court to set aside the Secretary’s action and require the Bureau of Land Management to resume quarterly oil and gas lease sales, which have been suspended since the order was signed. Governor Gordon emphasized that the President’s de-facto ban on oil and gas leasing will not meet the climate goals of the Administration, as production will simply shift to other countries with less stringent emissions standards.