Yellowstone National Park — Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum was joined Friday by Gov. Mark Gordon to officially begin the process for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to relinquish federal environmental program authority, including Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401 authority, over Wyoming’s portion of Yellowstone National Park to the State of Wyoming. This authority will be overseen by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) following a 60-day notice period to Congress. 

“This is a proper and practical acknowledgement of the exceptional partnership of Wyoming’s DEQ and the National Park Service. It is another example of the DOI, under the leadership of Secretary Burgum, applying state-led, common sense solutions to the cooperative management of our public lands,” Gordon said. “This agreement is nothing new as Wyoming has managed CWA Section 401 in the Park for years. However, this official recognition restores the mutual responsibility that has worked so well and will bring about an increase in certainty and responsiveness for our Yellowstone visitors while ensuring that the Park’s water resources continue to be protected according to Wyoming’s high standards.”

“President Trump made cutting red tape and putting decisions closer to the people they impact a top priority of this administration,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “The people of Wyoming know its land and water better than Washington ever could, and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality has proven it has the expertise and commitment to protect its own water resources. By empowering Wyoming to manage its own resources, we’re supporting responsible local stewardship and stronger communities for decades to come.”