Momentum behind Wyoming’s uranium industry continues to build, with the U.S. Interior Department giving it a boost by officially designating this plentiful resource as a “critical" mineral.

"This should be helpful to Wyoming,” Fred McLaughlin, director of the Center for Economic Geology Research at the University of Wyoming, told Cowboy State Daily. "Listing uranium as critical should provide more focus on supporting domestic resources, including those in Wyoming."

The Interior Department, through the U.S. Geological Survey, published the final 2025 List of Critical Minerals on Friday, outlining 60 minerals vital to the U.S. economy and national security that face potential risks from disrupted supply chains.

The list adds 10 new minerals including boron, copper, lead, metallurgical coa

See Full Page