The U.S. government kicked off a major sale of oil and gas leases in Wyoming this week after rejecting protests over lands on offer that are considered critical areas for wildlife. The Bureau of Land Management is offering 565 parcels of land, representing more than 750,000 acres, for leasing via an online auction taking place all week. By acreage offered, it is the Trump administration’s largest lease sale so far in a single state outside of Alaska, according to BLM sale notices and summaries. Wyoming is the top U.S. state for gas production and the second-biggest for oil production on federal lands, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. As of mid-day Thursday, sale results were mixed, with dozens of parcels garnering no bids, some selling for thousands of dollars an […]