The Trump administration has auctioned off millions of acres of drilling rights in order to promote more domestic energy production. The administration has also rolled back regulations aimed at protecting wildlife, air quality, and groundwater supplies. The Interior Department has gone along with industry pressure, opening up more than 12.8 million acres of federally controlled oil and gas parcels to be offered for lease. This is triple the amount offered during President Obama's two terms. In 2016, the amount was 2 million and in 2017 it was 2.5 million.

Not only this, but the acreage actually being leased by energy companies such as Chesapeake Energy (CHK  ), Chevron (CVX  ), and Anschutz Explorations also increased. These companies are seeing growth opportunities as oil prices are rising due to Iran sanctions and a pro-business administration.

Wyoming sits on land that is rich in oil reserves. The landscape of rural areas in the state are already changing. The number of drilling rigs operating in the state has doubled since 2016 and is going to increase even further. As many as 5,000 new oil wells are being planned in Converse, a county with a population of 14,000 people. The Interior Department leases out land of private ranches that sit atop federally owned, below-ground mineral rights. The owners are able to charge drilling, fracking, and pipeline teams for the right to cross their property. This lease allows fossil fuel companies to drill for the oil and gas beneath. Once the wells are drilled, the companies pay 12.5% royalty on anything they extract. They hold onto the lease for an unspecified period of time.

Government revenue has soared as a result of lease sales and collected royalties. Wyoming received $669 million form federal oil, gas, and coal sales last year, which it used to pay for schools and roads, among other needs. Industry lobbyists have successfully pushed for a change in policies that govern how frequently new federal leases are offered and how quickly drilling permits are approved among other concerns. The administration has also cut the time the public has to challenge federal land sales at the industry's request.

The most visible consequence of these policy changes is the reversal of an Obama-era rule intended to curb the flaring or venting of methane, which is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The government has offered so much land through actions in the past two years that most of it has failed to attract any bidders. As Western states are reaping the short-term benefits of these sales, they are also faced with the permanent consequences on American landscapes, wildlife, and public health, which are in danger from these new policies.