A proposal to mine gravel on state-owned land at the base of Casper Mountain has been halted following a decision by the Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners to deny the renewal of eight exploratory leases.
The board’s vote effectively ends the project, which had sparked significant public opposition over the past 16 months.
The board, which includes Governor Mark Gordon, Secretary of State Chuck Gray, Auditor Kristi Racines, Treasurer Curt Meier, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, voted Thursday after a lengthy session involving public comments, questions, and discussion. Gray, Racines, and Degenfelder voted to deny the lease renewals, while Meier opposed the motion. Governor Gordon abstained from voting.
Following the vote, many residents from Natrona County who traveled to Cheyenne for the meeting quietly cheered and embraced, reflecting relief that the project had been stopped.
“We are relieved for now, and we are headed home,” said Carolyn Griffith, a local resident and leader of the Casper Mountain Preservation Alliance. “The stress of going up that road to get home won’t be quite as high tonight.”
Griffith’s group formed after residents discovered the proposed project by Prism Logistics, which held the original leases approved in mid-to-late 2023.
Prism Logistics CEO Kyle True expressed disappointment with the board’s decision.
“I’m stunned and it’ll take some time to digest this,” True said. “I’m frustrated as a state lands lessee that I took a lease in good faith and was diligently pursuing development, and then they undid it.”
The leases, allowing for the exploration and potential extraction of sand, gravel, borrow material, and riprap rock, were quietly granted through a consent agenda in June and October 2023. Residents reported becoming aware of the project only after excavation activity was observed in early 2024.
The discovery prompted widespread community pushback, including a petition with over 13,000 signatures and extensive public comment at a Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners (WBLC) meeting in April 2024.
The Natrona County Commission took a formal stance against the project, voting in May to request denial of the lease renewals and rezoning the area to prohibit mining. Prism has filed a lawsuit in response, and the legal matter remains ongoing.
Public comment prior to the vote underscored the emotional and cultural significance of Casper Mountain to area residents.
“To destroy part of the mountain is to destroy the soul of Casper and Natrona County,” said resident Jim Gunderson. “You see it and know you’re home.”
Former resident Maria Katherman argued the land already provides value by supporting educational and recreational activities, particularly for local schools.
“To my mind, that is supporting our schools. Those state lands are working so hard to support our schools right now,” she told the board.
Degenfelder, who cast one of the votes to deny the lease renewal, spoke of her personal ties to the area, recalling school field trips and other memories from her childhood in Casper.
The board’s decision brings an end to a controversial chapter in the use of state trust lands near Casper Mountain. While Prism Logistics has indicated its plans are effectively over, related legal and land-use discussions may continue.
With input from Gillette News Record and the Sheridan Press.
