Wyoming needs a “Monument to America,” no less grand in scale than Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, but a task force must first decide where it should go and which historical figures it should depict.
That’s according to House Bill 106, which is pending before the Wyoming Legislature.
The bill proposes a modest first step, setting aside $40,000 to fund a task force. The task force would be charged with looking into how, when and where such a monument could be built.
The end vision is ambitious.
“The monument to America shall be similar in size and scope to the Mount Rushmore national monument and shall feature important historical American figures as recommended by the task force including Native American leaders,” according to the bill’s text.
‘It Mirrors 100 Years Ago’
The goal is for the task force to have a recommendation for development for the monument ready for the governor’s office and key legislative committees no later than July 24, 2026.
That could launch the project at roughly the same time as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 2026, the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Steve Harshman, R-Casper, told Cowboy State Daily.
No specific timeline is set for construction and completion of the monument.
“It mirrors 100 years ago,” when plans were laid for the Monument at Mount Rushmore – which depicts presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, Harshman said.
The monument could depict prominent Wyomingites, Native American tribal leaders or other Americans from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, according to the bill.
The task force would include the governor, former governors, tribal representatives and prominent legislators.
Including the tribes in the process is vital, Harshman said.
Mount Rushmore remains controversial, because many Native Americans and others think that it was built on tribal lands and the Lakota people were left out of the decision.
“We’ve got so many great tribal leaders in our history,” and they should be included in the Monument to America, he said.
Where To Build It?
The bill only broadly lays out the directive for the task force, so it’s too early for any discussion narrowing down possible locations for the monument, Harshman said.
It’s hoped that it could be built on Wyoming state school trust land, so any tourism dollars it generates could go toward schools here, he said.
Many of Wyoming’s most prominent and picturesque places are on federal land. But proposing a site on federally-managed land would add another layer of complexity, former Assistant Secretary of the Interior Rob Wallace told Cowboy State Daily.
Special use permits can be issued for such things as ski areas on National Forest land, he said.
But something that would require “such an extensive alteration of the landscape” as a monument would require approval from Congress, said Wallace, who served during the first term of President-elect Donald Trump.
“Without a doubt, going the state land route or the private land route will be easier than trying to do something on National Forest land,” he said.
Tourism Boost
If the Monument to America becomes a reality, it could provide a huge boost to Wyoming’s hospitality and tourism industry, Harshman said.
He added that he’s “gotten feedback from both sides of the fence on this” – from people who support the monument and some who don’t like the idea.
The Wyoming Office of Tourism supports the idea, according to a statement sent to Cowboy State Daily.
“We recognize the value of tourism development and evaluate how it best meets the needs of each community. Destination experiences contribute to extending visitor’s length of stay and are overall impactful for the community and the entire state. Should the legislature choose to advance this legislation we’ll be there to do our part, as always,” according to the office of tourism.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
