The Real Irony

In his newsletter dated May 23 2024, Governor Mark Gordon dismissed opposition to the Pronghorn H2 and Sidewinder projects as politically inconsistent, stating:

“What I find fascinating is that in a state eager to roll back government overreach, there are legislators and others who are turning to the government to suppress the private property rights of their neighbors. There is an irony here.”

To many Wyoming citizens, the real irony is being told that raising legitimate concerns—about water, wildlife, safety, and transparency—somehow amounts to government overreach. The outrage spreading across impacted communities isn't about suppressing private property rights. It's about confronting a glaring lack of public accountability in projects that pose long-term, potentially irreversible risks to shared resources and rural life.

People are angry—and they should be. Developers have operated with unchecked confidence, assuming they could fast-track massive industrial projects like Pronghorn H2 without public scrutiny or meaningful local input. The majority of local and state officials have chosen to remain silent—avoiding difficult questions and neglecting their responsibility to protect the broader public interest. 

That said, it is important to recognize that a handful of elected officials have stood with the community, boldly advocating for transparency and accountability. These leaders serve as role models, setting an example for those who remain silent to rise to the occasion and prioritize the public good.

This is not a private deal between willing landowners and a company. It is a far-reaching industrial operation with consequences for wildlife migration corridors, groundwater security, emergency response capacity, and public infrastructure—all of which affect far more than the immediate leaseholders. When citizens call on their government to act—not to deny rights, but to uphold responsibility—that isn’t overreach. That’s democracy in action.

The real threat isn’t from public engagement. It’s from public exclusion. And when developer arrogance is met with government silence—except for those local officials who stand with the people—citizen outrage isn’t just understandable—it’s necessary.