The Upper Green River Basin (UGRB) is western Wyoming's sagebrush steppe, a landscape punctuated by ribbons of wildlife habitat, stunning vistas, and important cultural sites. The Upper Green River Basin has been called "the Serengeti of the West" as it serves as the winter home of large herds of pronghorn antelope and mule deer, which migrate into the area from the highlands of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. With its extraordinary reserves of oil and natural gas, the UGRB has become a focal point for the oil and gas industry. A first phase of over three thousand wells have been approved in the UGRB and development occurred at a rapid rate - one that exceeds the Bureau of Land Management's "reasonably foreseeable development" plan by more than 300 per cent. And in 2017 a second phase with more than double of existing wells was planned. The environmental impacts of this rapidly escalating oil and natural gas development are not clear, and conservationists are pressing for measures that will help safeguard the region's wildlife, air and water resources.
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