As in several recent years, one of the early bills brought up in the Wyoming Legislature was one that sought to sell off our public land. This one was disguised as an effort to provide affordable housing to our residents, but it was just another bill that would have reduced our access to hunting, fishing, hiking and other recreation. It also would have diminished ranchers’ access to grazing land. Thankfully, it was shot down early and wasn’t considered for introduction.
But then something good happened. Senator Eric Barlow introduced Senate Joint Resolution 9, “Keeping Public Lands Protected and Decisions Local.” This bill, should it pass, opposes any state or federal policy promoting the broad sale of public lands and gives precedence to existing land management plans.
I don’t know how all this talk about selling off public land started. I understand the feeling here in Wyoming of people resenting the federal ownership of lands within our borders, but there are laws in place that keep those lands accessible to the public. Most of us who grew up here have used many of those lands throughout our lives. We’ve hunted there, fished there, hiked there, run our cattle there, and more. And while we sometimes chafe against the rules for those lands that come out of a city thousands of miles away, they’ve remained public.
And our state lands are public, too. We have more control over the rules for these parcels, but we keep them open to all. And we need to continue to keep them open. Those lands formed us. They shaped us into the people we are today. Kudos to Sen. Barlow for advancing this bill, and I hope the Legislature passes it. It will help ensure the lands that formed us will continue to form our children, our grandchildren, and all the generations to come.
