"CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A disputed federal oil and gas lease sale in Wyoming that ended Friday was among the biggest recently in the state, bringing in almost $88 million amid environmental groups’ concern that drilling the public land could imperil migrating wildlife and a ground-dwelling bird.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management originally planned to offer the parcels in December but postponed their sale after a federal judge in Idaho ordered the agency to allow more time for public comment before lease sales.
Preliminary results show the five-day online sale ending Friday was the biggest dollar-wise in Wyoming since a $129 million sale in February 2017. About three-quarters of the 565 parcels, which combined covered an area almost as big as Rhode Island, sold this week."
Mead Gruver reports for the Associated Press March 1, 2019.
SEE ALSO:
"The Greater Sage-Grouse’s Most Important Habitat Is on the Auction Block" (Audubon)
