CASPER, Wyo. — Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s recent attempt to move the June 5 State Board of Land Commissioners meeting to Casper has been denied by Gov. Mark Gordon, Gray announced in a release.
It is expected that leases sought by Casper-based Prism Logistics will be discussed at the meeting. This comes after the company filed applications with the State Lands and Investments Board for the renewal of sand and gravel leases covering over 3,200 acres on the north slope of Casper Mountain.
Last year, Prism’s efforts to build a gravel mine in the Coates Road area of Casper Mountain caused a public outcry, as residents raised concerns over negative effects to the area’s ecology and quality of life. That effort was temporarily halted when the Natrona County Board of County Commissioners removed mining provisions for land zoned Mountain Residential-1, though Prism Logistics later sued the county over that decision.
After Prism Logistics moved to renew its leases for the land, Gray petitioned Gordon to relocate the state board’s meeting to Casper in a letter that can be read below:
On Wednesday, Gray said in a statement that Gordon had denied the request.
“I am disappointed that the governor has refused to hold the upcoming board meeting in Casper, which would have facilitated increased public comment and input on the sand and gravel issue in Natrona County,” Gray wrote in the statement. “This dereliction by the Governor is amplified by the fact that the original leases were part of a consent agenda and that the Governor failed to support a motion last year that would have provided a path to ending the leases.”
The full statement can be read below:
The governor and secretary of state have traded barbs in recent weeks, with Gray making allegations of Gordon’s positions on wind energy, prompting responses from the governor.
