Act Now: Stop the Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act

Senator John Barrasso, Senator Cynthia Lummis, and Representative Harriet Hageman of Wyoming recently introduced a bill that disregards Tribal sovereignty on the Wind River Indian Reservation. 

The Big Wind River flows below Bighorn Butte on the Wind River Indian Reservation — just west of Pilot Butte Reservoir. (Photo GYC/London Bernier)

The Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act (S.1662/H.R.3415), would take a piece of excess federal property the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes have called out in their land back requests for decades and hand it over to private non-Tribal irrigators. This legislation was created and introduced without any conversation with the two Tribes.  

In fact, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe was unaware of the bill until it passed the House of Representatives. This is one of many examples of a Treaty being broken and the shocking reality that Tribes must fight to get their land back. The Wind River Water & Buffalo Alliance is fighting alongside the Tribes as they oppose this bill. 

The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Now it is being considered in a public lands legislative package that the full Senate will vote on in December. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV and Ranking Member Sen. Barrasso, R-WY are leading the effort to compile the public lands legislative package.  

We need your voice today. Tell Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso by November 24 that you oppose the Pilot Butte Power Plant Conveyance Act. 

We invite you to take action or visit the Greater Yellowstone Coalition Fort Washakie office (14567 Highway 287, Unit 2, Fort Washakie, WY 82514) where you can fill out a postcard that we’ll send to Sen. Barrasso and Sen. Manchin.