Hoback Basin

As the southern anchor of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—the largest intact temperate natural system in the Northern Hemisphere—the Hoback Basin is home to magnificent mountains, vibrant forests, and the headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Hoback River.

Generations of Americans have come here to fish, hunt, paddle, hike, or to simply enjoy Wyoming’s backcountry. But the future of this unspoiled landscape was at risk, for beneath the Hoback lies a highly valued resource—natural gas.

Specifically, Houston-based Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP) had plans to drill 136 gas wells and construct 30 miles of new roads at the headwaters of the Hoback River. If approved, it would have been the only instance in the United States of a major gas field at the headwaters of a congressionally designated Wild and Scenic River.

In July 2012, Trust for Public Land reached an agreement to purchase PXP’s 58,000 acres of oil and gas leases in the Hoback Basin—with just five months to raise $8.75 million in philanthropic support to complete the deal.

Ultimately, the can-do attitude and unanimous support of our partners and the Wyoming communities of Rock Springs, Pinedale, Bondurant, Jackson, and Wilson—in addition to generous contributions from donors across the globe—led to success.

In December 2012, TPL purchased all those acres of oil and gas leases from PXP and retired them, under the 2009 Wyoming Range Legacy Act, permanently protecting the Hoback Basin from future drilling.