BREAKING: Big win for greater Yellowstone wilderness
Jamie Williams - The Wilderness Society
We are proud to share some wonderful news from the Northern Rockies.
A united effort by sportsmen, ranchers, wilderness lovers and local residents has secured long-term protection for one of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s most precious gems – the Hoback Basin.
The victory ends a concerted effort by a major gas driller to open the Basin to natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking), a process that would foul air and water and destroy sensitive wildlife habitat.
At a public event on Oct. 5 in Jackson Hole, it was announced that Plains Exploration and Production Company (PXP) has agreed to sell all of its drilling leases in the region to our conservation partner, the Trust for Public Land. The sale effectively ends the threat of oil and gas development in the Basin for all time.
Lying within the Hoback Basin are the headwaters of the wild and scenic Hoback River, a fly fisherman’s paradise. The basin’s towering mountains and pristine forests shelter abundant populations of elk, moose, deer and bears. This area on the Bridger Teton national forest is beloved by local residents and visitors alike for its astounding natural beauty.
This victory could not have happened without Wilderness Society members and activists. Your tenacious advocacy lent critical support to local land-owners who had united to keep this wild land free of fracking.
The victory reminds us that even in the current political climate, progress is possible. And, it’s a vindication for The Wilderness Society’s strategy of empowering local voices in key wilderness battles.
Said one local landowner after hearing the victory, “So many people said we did not have a chance at all. The Wilderness Society has truly worked wonders.”
Thank you for helping to keep the Hoback Basin wild and free!
Those thanks belong to you.
Thanks for all you do.
Jamie Williams
President, The Wilderness Society
P.S. Another victory worth crowing about – Last month, President Obama designated Chimney Rock National Monument in Colorado.
This native American archaeological treasure is defined by twin spires and ancient ruins that soar above Colorado’s San Juan National Forest. Read about it here.