--- title: "Conservation groups sue over Wyoming oil and gas leases" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/conservation-groups-sue-over-wyoming-oil-and-gas-leases" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/conservation-groups-sue-over-wyoming-oil-and-gas-leases" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/conservation-groups-sue-over-wyoming-oil-and-gas-leases.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/conservation-groups-sue-over-wyoming-oil-and-gas-leases" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-16T11:25:27.705Z" source_reported: "2026-09-15T21:45:00.000Z" updated: "2026-09-16T11:25:27.705Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-16T12:30:19.567045+00:00" --- # Conservation groups sue over Wyoming oil and gas leases *Lawsuit claims federal government violated environmental laws by leasing land critical for big game migration.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named groups and officials; one outlet provided a full report. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific locations and figures. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The headline accurately reflects the content of the article and is not sensationalized. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Two conservation groups, The Wilderness Society and Wilderness Workshop, are suing the federal government over oil and gas leases in Wyoming and Colorado. - The lawsuit claims the federal government broke environmental laws by leasing 179 square miles in Wyoming, threatening big game migration routes. - The leases, sold for $34.7 million, are also being challenged in northwest Colorado, bringing the total contested area to 430 square miles. - The Petroleum Association of Wyoming disputes the lawsuit's claims, stating that actual development requires further review. Two conservation groups have filed a lawsuit alleging the federal government violated environmental laws by leasing 179 square miles in Wyoming for oil and gas drilling. The Wilderness Society and Wilderness Workshop claim these leases threaten already-diminished migrating big game herds. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Colorado, also challenges acreage leased in northwest Colorado, bringing the total contested area to 430 square miles. The groups assert that federal agencies prioritized oil and gas development over other land uses, violating their own regulations and environmental laws. The leases were sold for $34.7 million, with revenue split between the federal government and the state. According to the lawsuit, the leases threaten migration corridors for Baggs mule deer and Sublette pronghorn, among other big game. The conservationists argue that energy development in these areas curtails wildlife habitat use. The lawsuit seeks to halt actions authorized by the challenged sales, set aside the sales, and return the issue for reconsideration by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). ## Disagreement over leasing process The Petroleum Association of Wyoming disputes the lawsuit's central claims. Ryan McConnaughey, interim president of the association, stated that the lawsuit mischaracterizes the federal oil and natural gas leasing process, which he described as only the first step in development. He added that actual development requires additional review and approval by the BLM. The conservationists' attorney, Mike Freeman, countered that the BLM is supposed to balance oil and gas development with other uses, and that leasing constitutes an irreversible commitment of land and resources that cannot be properly mitigated once issued. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports printed below mention the specific royalty rate of 12.5% or the statement from the BLM that the reduction makes oil and gas development more economically attractive to industry. The full report from Washington Top News noted that the leases were conducted under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and that the royalty rate was discounted from 16.67%. ## Who covered it Shares of the 11 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 46% (5) - Centre: 54% (6) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-16T12:30:19.567045+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-16T13:15:13.506Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led with the assertion that the federal government broke environmental laws by leasing land for oil and gas drilling. These reports highlighted that the leases threaten already-diminished migrating big game herds. The digests mentioned the two conservation groups, The Wilderness Society and Wilderness Workshop, as the plaintiffs. They also noted the total acreage leased in Wyoming (179 square miles) and the broader challenge to leases in Colorado, bringing the total contested area to 430 square miles. The reports indicated the lawsuit was filed in federal court in Colorado. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the lawsuit filed by conservation groups claiming the federal government broke environmental laws by leasing 179 square miles in Wyoming for oil and gas drilling. These digests stated that the leases threaten migrating big game. Several of these reports noted the lawsuit was filed in federal court in Colorado and mentioned the total contested area across Wyoming and Colorado is 430 square miles. Some digests also included the detail that the leases were sold for $34.7 million. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 8 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Oil City News](https://oilcity.news/crime/court/2026/09/15/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [Cap City News](https://capcity.news/crime/court/2026/09/15/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/09/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims – WTOP News - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims/article_c75bd051-1008-58cd-91e1-f78ba2e6b234.html) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [Newsday](https://newsday.com/news/nation/oil-gas-leases-lawsuit-wyoming-y68325) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/oil-gas-leases-lawsuit-wyoming-93f8e9e99effe5bd66818ed264572f26) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [KULR-TV](https://kulr8.com/news/national/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims/article_a6c311a4-5fa5-55e8-92e3-7b67dc9dd11a.html) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [Daily News-Record](https://dnronline.com/associated_press/national/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims/article_a38ea44e-34ba-5bd3-b934-5ad50dc4cdde.html) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [The Star Democrat](https://stardem.com/ap/nation/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims/article_38f5c934-3030-5683-8f90-4707f6ddf3b0.html) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [The Record](https://therecord.com/life/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims/article_0bf497dd-9cd0-5386-a49b-39f094efad95.html) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/09/15/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims - [WyoFile](https://wyofile.com/oil-and-gas-leases-threaten-big-game-migration-routes-lawsuit-claims) — Oil and gas leases threaten big game migration routes, lawsuit claims ## Questions **What is the lawsuit about?** Two conservation groups are suing the federal government, alleging that leasing 179 square miles in Wyoming for oil and gas drilling violates environmental laws. They claim the leases threaten big game migration routes and that federal agencies prioritized fossil fuel development over other land uses. **Which areas are affected by the leases?** The lawsuit specifically challenges 179 square miles leased in Wyoming, which are said to threaten big game migration corridors. It also challenges acreage leased in northwest Colorado, bringing the total contested area to 430 square miles. **What is the industry's response to the lawsuit?** The Petroleum Association of Wyoming disputes the lawsuit's claims, stating that the leasing process is only the first step and that actual development requires further review and approval by the Bureau of Land Management. They argue the lawsuit mischaracterizes the federal leasing process. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/conservation-groups-sue-over-wyoming-oil-and-gas-leases. 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