The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released its Fiscal Year 2027–2028 Strategic Plan, outlining the agency’s goals, priorities, and performance measures that will guide its work to protect, conserve, and enhance Wyoming’s environment over the next two years.
“This Strategic Plan reflects our continued commitment to protecting Wyoming’s natural resources while supporting responsible economic development. It establishes the goals, priorities, and performance measures that will guide our work throughout the next two years,” said Todd Parfitt, Director of DEQ. “These efforts underscore the agency’s leadership and expertise in environmental stewardship and reflect the dedication of DEQ staff, the regulated community, and our many partners.”
The Strategic Plan highlights DEQ’s mission to protect Wyoming’s air, land, and water resources, its statewide presence across five regional offices, and its commitment to transparent, consistent, and responsive environmental regulation. It also details the agency’s seven core goals, including:
- Applying environmental standards that protect natural resources while supporting responsible economic development.
- Ensuring compliance through clear communication, timely inspections, and consistent enforcement.
- Developing a clear, concise, and consistent regulatory framework through rule review, updates, and engagement in federal rulemaking.
- Collecting and managing environmental data using scientifically defensible methods aligned with DEQ’s Quality Management Plan.
- Investigating, remediating, reclaiming, and restoring contaminated and disturbed sites to protect human health and promote future economic use.
- Developing and maintaining an outcome and solution-oriented workforce through training, recruitment, and professional development.
- Managing agency resources responsibly, including budgeting, bonding, IT systems, and partnerships.
The plan also outlines division-specific priorities across the agency, including expanding the Wyoming Native Plant Seed Strategy within the Abandoned Mine Land Division, strengthening statewide administrative tools such as ADA-compliant public-facing applications, advancing Air Quality initiatives through consistent permitting and monitoring programs, supporting Solid & Hazardous Waste efforts by maintaining high-performing programs like Storage Tanks and improving waste management compliance, enhancing Water Quality operations through streamlined permitting and robust inspection activities, guiding responsible development through Industrial Siting’s coordinated review of major projects, and supporting Land Quality’s continued reclamation and restoration of disturbed lands to ensure long-term environmental stability.
“Wyoming is truly a special place to live, work, and recreate, and I’m grateful for the dedication of our staff, partners, and communities who help us protect it. Together, we remain committed to conserving and enhancing Wyoming’s environment now and for generations to come,” Parfitt stated.”
The FY27–FY28 Strategic Plan is available online and can be viewed here.
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