The Casper Star-Tribune reports that “the U.S. Senate has passed a bill aimed at streamlining approval of oil and gas drilling permits on federal land.”  

“Industry advocates hailed the move, saying it would help alleviate a permitting backlog at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Landowners, meanwhile, questioned the legislation, arguing that it expedites a process that already fails to take into account the concerns of property owners.”  

“The bill’s passage Tuesday represents a victory for U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican who co-sponsored the measure with Democrat Tom Udall of New Mexico.”