USPS announces it will keep some local mail processing in state

by David Velazquez

Casper Star-Tribune

Via Wyoming News Exchange

The USPS will be keeping some of its Casper and Cheyenne local mail processing operations facilities open and investing up to $9.2 million as the service shifts its strategy. The Friday announcement marks a major shift from the original 10-year “Delivering for America” plan, which would have shifted all mail processing out of Wyoming. 

The USPS in 2024 announced that the Casper mail processing operations would be reworked into a local processing center and mail would be handled by the Billings, Montana, Processing and Distribution Center. The Cheyenne mail processing operations would also be reworked with its mail being handled by the Denver Processing and Distribution Center — leaving the Cowboy State without a distribution center within the state. 

The facilities will still become local processing facilities — which only handle letters and flats to individual mail carrier routes in the regional area — but “the Postal Service will not need to relocate certain local originating mail processing operations outside of the Casper facility.” 

“This means that mail being delivered from one address in Casper to another will not leave the region for processing,” a statement from the Postal Service states.

The Postal Service added that the new strategy will aim to improve efficiency, service and increase savings. 

“This decision to leave those operations in Casper is made possible due to a proposed operational strategy aimed at increasing efficiency, improving service quality, and saving USPS an additional $3 billion per-year nationwide,” the service said in a Friday press release for the Casper facility. 

The Casper facility could receive up to $5.7 million in investment and the Cheyenne facility could receive up to $3.5 million in investment. 

“This investment goes beyond just enhancing the work environment for our employees. It’s about equipping the facility with the necessary technology and resources to deliver top-notch service to the local community for the foreseeable future,” Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a press release. 

The investments will go toward expanded and streamlined package and mail processing and distribution capabilities and for modernization efforts and deferred maintenance. 

The funds will also be used for new workplace amenities such as new lighting, renovated bathrooms and break rooms, according to a press release. 

These changes will not impact business mail entry, Post Office, station, and branch retail services. 

The service added that there are no expected employee impacts with the decision to keep these operations at the Casper and Cheyenne facility. The initial plan to relocate mail processing to Billings and Denver would have affected staffing in Casper and Cheyenne. 

“In fact, as part of its investment strategy in the Casper facility, the Postal Service is focusing on enhancing package processing and shipping capacity. This could potentially lead to increased plant activity and a future need for additional staffing support,” the service said in the Casper area release. 

Wyoming Republican Senator John Barrasso on Friday applauded the decision. 

“It is welcome news that the United States Postal Service will be keeping local mail processing operations in Casper,” he said. “The USPS is a lifeline in rural states like Wyoming. Keeping processing and distribution centers in our state will prevent delays and provide a timely postal service for our communities.” 

Wyoming Republican Rep. Harriet Hageman on X, formerly known as Twitter, said that the Friday announcement is a good step forward but work still needs to be done. 

“Today’s USPS decision to retain mail processing in Casper & Cheyenne is a hopeful step for WY. The investment helps, but the challenges remain,” she wrote. “I’ll push my legislation to lock in these wins & block out-of-state processing shifts. I’m optimistic, but work still needs to be done.” 

Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis last week sponsored a bill that seeks to prevent the Postal Service from closing, consolidating, or downgrading processing and distribution centers if it would eliminate the only processing and distribution center in a state. 

Barrasso and New Hampshire’s two Democratic Senators — Jeanne Shaheen and Margaret Wood Hassan — cosponsored the bill. 

Hageman introduced a mirror bill in the House of Representatives the same day the Lummis bill was introduced.