Ban won't hurt mitigation

Dear Editor

A ban on federal oil and gas leasing in Wyoming could indeed push oil and gas companies to lease and develop more state and private land eventually. After 32 years as a habitat and mitigation biologist though, I have to say, concluding that a ban on federal oil and gas leasing will limit Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s ability to mitigate impacts to wildlife is a cop-out.

Ideally, oil and gas development should be done in areas where they can avoid and prevent negative impacts to wildlife in the first place. Ideally, mitigation is the last resort, because mitigation has never be...