Natrona County narrows language in pumped‑storage position letter after fisheries debate

Natrona County commissioners on Tuesday debated the wording of a position letter about a proposed Seminole pumped‑storage project before approving edited language that avoids definitive claims about downstream impacts and instead flags potential risks.

The commission spent more than an hour hashing over two drafts — one prepared by the chairman and another circulated by Commissioner Nick Nicholson — that describe possible effects to fisheries and wildlife. Commissioners focused on a passage that in draft said the project “will be negatively impacted” for the Miracle Mile trout fishery and downstream reaches of the North Platte River. Several members pressed legal staff and fellow commissioners to soften the phrasing to reflect uncertainty in the evidence presented.

“I’d be more inclined to say ‘has the potential of impacting’ and not ‘will,’” the chairman said during discussion, urging language that ties the county’s concerns to the technical recommendations of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Commissioner Laird asked staff to ensure the county’s letter would not overstate the science.

Several commissioners cited testimony from John Masterson and from the Game and Fish Department that identified impacts that may not be fully mitigable, including effects on trout and big‑game habitat. Other commissioners pushed back that the commission should avoid exceeding the Game and Fish Department’s technical role and should instead flag the county as an interested party seeking more information from developers and state agencies.

A motion to send the chairman’s original letter failed on a roll call. Later the commission agreed to two edits: replace definitive language such as “will be negatively impacted” with phrasing that the project “may potentially negatively impact” or “has the potential to negatively impact,” and broaden a passage that singled out the “Miracle Mile” to refer more generally to affected fisheries (including Seminole and Cortez). Commissioners then voted to have legal staff prepare the final version, sign it and transmit it before the public deadline.

County legal counsel and commissioners also noted a calendar constraint: the county’s deadline to submit formal comments was expected before the end of December, and members were encouraged to circulate redlines to reach a comfortable, defensible single version. The approved change directs staff to reflect Game and Fish Department recommendations in the final text and to avoid asserting technical conclusions not supported in the record.

The commission did not adopt new regulatory action; the vote authorized only finalizing and sending the revised position letter. Next steps: legal will prepare the corrected draft and the chair will sign and send the county’s position before the stated deadline.