From sagebrush steppe to Wind River summits, Wyoming’s public lands are as vast and varied as those of us who treasure them. Whether you were born in Wyoming or are among those who got here as soon as you could, you surely recognize that this wouldn’t be the same place without these defining spaces.
Our hometown of Lander, “where rails end and trails begin,” has long relied on adjacent public lands for its outdoor recreation economy. As neighbors on Main Street, both our businesses are no stranger to the value these public lands bring to the community.
Hiker or ATV-rider, Wyoming’s public lands are something we all have in common. And protecting those lands is something we can all agree on. Despite our diverse backgrounds and sometimes differing political opinions, we stand on common ground when it comes to the importance of defending Wyoming’s public lands legacy.
As Wyomingites, we stand resolved in the belief that public lands should remain in public hands. As business owners, we understand that their cumulative value far exceeds any price that others might try to place on them. The Code of the West says it best: Some things simply aren’t for sale.
Freedom to access public lands is central to the Wyoming way of life. Our wide-open spaces, combined with Wyoming’s pro-business policies, make for a state where both people and commerce can thrive. The state’s outdoor recreation economy measured at $2.2 billion in 2023, growing by more than half a billion dollars over the last five years, and employed nearly 16,000 people. Then there’s the 61,000 (and counting) natural resource jobs in Wyoming — like energy development and ranching — on BLM lands alone. That’s more than 10% of the state population.
Public lands power our economy and are the reason so many of us live here. As entrepreneurs, we understand the value of the state’s natural beauty and high quality of life. And, whether as natural resources or recreational amenities, we recognize that our economic future depends in no small part on maintaining our open and free access to Wyoming’s public lands.
Yet, both Wyoming’s outdoor heritage and economic future remain threatened by a plan ill-conceived by reckless government actors to sell off our national public lands to the highest bidder.
Already this year, we’ve seen Congress attempt to add a provision to the federal budget bill that would have sold off more than 500,000 acres of public land without any public input. When bipartisan opposition forced House sponsors to kill the provision, Utah Sen. Mike Lee revived it in the U.S. Senate, boosting the sell-off goal to more than 3 million acres. Opposition from Republican Senators in both Montana and Idaho, as well as massive public backlash from Wyomingites and other impacted Westerners, forced him to drop the plan.
But that doesn’t mean we’re done. Some politicians are still floating the idea of selling public lands to address government debt or for housing development, or finding other ways to make it seem reasonable to sell off our public lands. We know other attempts are looming in the future.
When they do, we’ll be ready to take up the fight.
The rapidly growing Keep it Public, Wyoming coalition that we’re proud to be a part of has been hard at work to promote the importance of keeping public lands in public hands, raising awareness and mobilizing individuals, organizations and businesses like ours against the serious threats facing our public lands.
In the spirit of Public Lands Day, celebrated by Wyomingites last Saturday with stewardship projects and gatherings across the state, we also invite you to follow the advice of Gov. Mark Gordon’s Wyoming Public Lands Day proclamation, which the Keep It Public coalition helped attain.
“I encourage people across the state to engage in service and habitat restoration projects, to fish, hunt, hike, camp, enjoy wildlife, play, re-connect, find solace, and work on these public lands,” the governor’s proclamation states. “I encourage our public schools to observe this day by discussing the dynamic role Wyoming’s public lands play in our state’s history, economy, and the diverse benefits we derive therein; and by creating opportunities to connect our youth with the federal and state public lands and land managers within our borders.”
We understand that selling off public lands is a non-starter for Wyomingites, and we are willing to back that up with the clout of the business community because we recognize the devastating impacts public lands loss would have on our state and nation. Impacts to our economy, our communities, our way of life.
Sure, that might mean something a little different to all of us individually, but collectively we can all appreciate the important pillar that Wyoming’s public lands provide in sustaining that way of life — whatever it may mean to you.
Public lands have been called the great equalizer — places where everyone has the same freedom to roam, ride the trails and enjoy our wide-open spaces. But they’re also an incredible generator — of jobs, health, resources and so many other elements that contribute to what we know as prosperity.
Here in Wyoming, that equalizer is really our advantage. And we intend to keep it.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
Jake Dickerson co-owns Wild Iris Mountain Sports based in Lander. Joan Brandenberger Chase co-owns Wild Iris Mountain Sports based in Lander. Greg Scott proudly manages Wind River Power Sports based in Lander.
