SJ 1 — State management-federal mineral leases.

STATEORIGINAL OF W YOMING 26LSO-0204 SENATE ENGROSSED JOINT RESOLUTIONRESOLUTION. NO.

SJ0001 StateENROLLED management-federalJOINT mineralRESOLUTION leases.NO.

Sponsored1, by:SENATE SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING BUDGET SESSION A JOINT RESOLUTION requesting Congress to introduce a bill and enact law to amend the federal Mineral Leasing Act to authorize the state of Wyoming to administer and manage mineral leasing on federal lands located in Wyoming.

SelectWHEREAS, Federalin Natural1920, Resource Management Committee A JOINT RESOLUTION for A JOINT RESOLUTION requesting Congress toenacted introduceinto a bill and enact law to amend the federal Mineral Leasing ActAct, towhich authorizeauthorizes the stateleasing of Wyomingfederal tolands administerfor andthe manageexploration mineraland leasingdevelopment onof federalminerals landsowned locatedby inthe Wyoming.United States;

6 WHEREAS, in 1920, Congress enacted into law the Mineral Leasing Act, which authorizes the leasing of federal lands for the exploration and development of minerals owned by the United States;

and 1 SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 WHEREAS, the Mineral Leasing Act authorizes the United States Secretary of Interior (Secretary) to lease and regulate the development of minerals owned by the United States;

and 5 WHEREAS, the Secretary delegated authority under the Mineral Leasing Act to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), a federal agency that is part of the United States Department of Interior;

and WHEREAS, the Mineral Leasing Act permits the leasing of federal lands for the development of minerals through a competitive bidding process;

and WHEREAS, the Mineral Leasing Act requires competitive bidding for oil and gas lease sales on federal lands to be held in each state where eligible federal lands are available not less than quarterly and more frequently if the Secretary determines it is necessary;

and SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 2 WHEREAS, the Mineral Leasing Act requires competitive bidding for coal leases on federal lands that are conducted on a case- by-case basis in response to specific nominations submitted through a lease application process;

and 7 WHEREAS, in 2016, the Secretary issued a secretarial order that directed the United States Department of Interior to pause new coal leasing on federal lands;

and WHEREAS, the 2016, coal leasing moratorium was revoked in 2017 through secretarial order;

and WHEREAS, in 2022, a federal court reinstated the coal leasing moratorium until the BLM completed a more sufficient environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act;

and WHEREAS, the 2022 coal leasing moratorium remained in effect until February 2024, when the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth District vacated the 2022 court decision, holding that the decision was moot;

and 3 SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 WHEREAS, in 2024, the BLM issued a record of decision for the Buffalo Field Office Resource Management Plan that would make approximately forty-eight (48) billion tons of coal unavailable for leasing in north central Wyoming;

and 6 WHEREAS, similar to coal leasing, in January 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that directed the United States Department of Interior to pause new oil and gas leasing on federal lands pending a comprehensive review;

and WHEREAS, in June 2021, a federal court issued an injunction ordering the Biden administration to end its oil and gas leasing moratorium;

and WHEREAS, in June 2022, BLM held its first oil and gas lease sale since the moratorium by offering one hundred twenty-two (122) parcels containing one hundred nineteen thousand five hundred sixty-four (119,564) acres of federal lands in Wyoming.

This was the only oil and gas lease sale offered in Wyoming in 2022;

and 4 SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 WHEREAS, in 2023, BLM did not offer any federal land parcels and acres for oil and gas leasing in Wyoming in the first quarter;

and 5 WHEREAS, in 2023, BLM offered for oil and gas leasing in Wyoming one hundred sixteen (116) parcels containing one hundred twenty-seven thousand fourteen (127,014) acres of federal lands in the second quarter, eighty-one (81) parcels containing sixty-seven thousand one hundred eighty-two (67,182) acres of federal lands in the third quarter and thirty-nine (39) parcels containing thirty-six thousand six hundred seventy-four (36,674) acres of federal lands in the fourth quarter;

and WHEREAS, the number of federal land parcels and acres offered for oil and gas leasing in Wyoming continued to decrease between 2023 and 2024;

and WHEREAS, in 2024, BLM offered for oil and gas leasing in Wyoming thirty (30) parcels containing thirteen thousand four hundred sixteen (13,416) acres of federal lands in the first quarter, eighteen (18) parcels containing ten thousand one hundred fifty-five (10,155) acres of federal lands in the SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 second quarter, four (4) parcels containing one hundred fifty-nine (159) acres of federal lands in the third quarter and eight (8) parcels containing four thousand six hundred forty-one (4,641) acres of federal lands in the fourth quarter;

and 7 WHEREAS, in 2025, President Trump issued executive orders to increase and encourage energy exploration and production on federal lands;

and WHEREAS, in response to these executive orders, the BLM is currently revising the Buffalo Field Office Resource Management Plan;

and WHEREAS, in 2025, Congress enacted into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act;

and WHEREAS, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reiterated the Mineral Leasing Act by requiring BLM to hold quarterly oil and gas lease sales in states that contain available federal land for leasing, including Wyoming;

and 6 SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 WHEREAS, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires that not less than four million (4,000,000) additional acres of federal lands within known coal reserves be made available for coal leasing;

and 6 WHEREAS, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act streamlines oil and gas leasing on federal lands by requiring the BLM to complete parcel review and offer federal land parcels in an oil and gas lease sale within six (6) months;

and WHEREAS, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act mandates that the Secretary process qualified coal leasing applications in a timely manner and expedite any required environmental review for qualified coal leasing applications;

and WHEREAS,ORIGINAL theSENATE federalENGROSSED administrationJOINT ofRESOLUTION. mineral leasing has been subject to prolonged leasing moratoriums, regulatory SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 uncertainty and delayed environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act that have resulted in a decrease in mineral activity on federal lands within Wyoming;

andSJ0001 6ENROLLED WHEREAS,JOINT evenRESOLUTION afterNO. federal lands in Wyoming are leased, the federal government retains legal title to the federal lands and the federal government receives money from sales, bonuses, royalties and rentals from federal mineral leasing;

and1, SENATE SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING BUDGET SESSION WHEREAS, the tenthfederal amendmentadministration toof themineral Unitedleasing Stateshas constitutionbeen reservessubject to theprolonged statesleasing allmoratoriums, powersregulatory notuncertainty delegatedand todelayed environmental reviews under the federalNational governmentEnvironmental orPolicy prohibitedAct bythat ithave toresulted thein states;a decrease in mineral activity on federal lands within Wyoming;

and WHEREAS, theeven tenthafter amendmentfederal tolands thein UnitedWyoming Statesare constitutionleased, supports the statefederal ofgovernment Wyomingretains havinglegal authoritytitle to administerthe mineral leasing on federal lands withinand Wyomingthe becausefederal Wyominggovernment shouldreceives havemoney greaterfrom controlsales, overbonuses, naturalroyalties resourcesand withinrentals itsfrom borders when not expressly prohibited by federal law;mineral leasing;

and 8 SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 WHEREAS, Wyoming's management of mineral leasing on state lands demonstrates that Wyoming can adequately and efficiently manage and administer mineral leasing on federal lands;

and 6 WHEREAS, Wyoming possesses an unparalleled understanding of land within its borders, making Wyoming better equipped than the federal government to administer and manage mineral leasing on federal lands located within the state;

and WHEREAS, Wyoming's state agencies are in constant communication with local governments, landowners and industry stakeholders,ORIGINAL whichSENATE wouldENGROSSED resultJOINT inRESOLUTION. a more responsive, SJ0001 STATE OF WYOMING 26LSO-0204 efficient and balanced decision making process regarding mineral leasing and in a manner that reflects Wyoming's policies and priorities;

andSJ0001 5ENROLLED WHEREAS,JOINT authorizingRESOLUTION WyomingNO. to administer and manage mineral leasing of federal minerals not only respects the principles of federalism and local control but also ensures that decisions are made by those who know the land best and are most invested in its long-term sustainability.

1, SENATE SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING BUDGET SESSION stakeholders, which would result in a more responsive, efficient and balanced decision making process regarding mineral leasing and in a manner that reflects Wyoming's policies and priorities;

and WHEREAS, authorizing Wyoming to administer and manage mineral leasing of federal minerals not only respects the principles of federalism and local control but also ensures that decisions are made by those who know the land best and are most invested in its long-term sustainability.