What is the state's power regarding regulation of natural resources?

• A. It has power to regulate natural resources in the interest of public welfare.
• B. It cannot regulate natural resources at all.
• C. It can regulate only water resources.
• D. It must obtain federal approval for any resource regulation.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that water in Wyoming is treated as a public resource owned by the state, and the state has the authority to regulate how that water is used to protect health, safety, and the public welfare. Because water is a public resource, the state licenses, allocates, and adjudicates water rights to ensure fair use and prevent waste. This is why regulating water resources is a clear and central power for the state.

This understanding doesn’t imply that the state has blanket power over all natural resources in the same way. Minerals and other resources involve different ownership and regulatory frameworks, and federal approval isn’t required for general resource regulation. The statement that the state can regulate only water resources aligns with Wyoming’s approach to water as a public resource under state control, even though regulation of other resources exists under separate laws.