Public lands have provided common ground for Republicans and Democrats for decades — and still do.
This month, U.S. Representatives Ryan Zinke, a Republican from Montana, and Gabe Vasquez, a Democrat from New Mexico, launched the Public Lands Caucus to fight any Congressional efforts to transfer and sell-off public lands.
The new caucus is facing its first fight to defend America’s public lands. Wyomingites should join them.
The prospect of selling off hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands to the highest bidder has seemed like a hypothetical issue — until now.
Shortly before midnight on May 6, Republicans and a lone Democrat on the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee approved an amendment that would do exactly that, putting 500,000 acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada on the auction block.
Wyomingites will also remember the failed SJ002 from the state’s recent Legislative session that demanded that the U.S. Congress relinquish the federal title to all public lands in the state, except Yellowstone National Park.
Make no mistake, lands that have been set aside for the benefit of all Americans — whether that’s through proceeds generated by resource extraction, recreation opportunities, or conservation of critical wildlife habitat — are now for sale. This is a dangerous precedent with potentially devastating consequences for Wyoming and its residents.
The argument that states could better manage national public lands is flawed. Wyoming, like other Western states, faces budget constraints that make large-scale land management impractical. The cost of wildfire suppression, infrastructure maintenance, and wildlife management would strain state resources and explode the state budget. The state would be forced to sell and privatize our lands, cutting off access to Wyoming’s outdoor heritage.
While the immediate focus of this Congressional budget amendment might be on Utah and Nevada, the ripple effect of such actions would undoubtedly reach Wyoming, impacting its economy, environment, and way of life.
That’s why I urge you to join me and the dozens of businesses, organizations, and individuals from across the state who’ve pledged to fight for our public lands via the nonpartisan Keep It Public Wyoming coalition.
The principle of public ownership is fundamental to the American West. Public lands belong to all citizens, ensuring equal access and shared benefits.
Selling off these lands would transfer control to private interests, leading to restricted access and prioritization of profit over public good.
This shift would undermine the democratic ideals of shared resources and equal opportunity.
Wyomingites value their public lands, as economic drivers that support our communities, as rich sources of natural resources that fuel the nation, and as our backyards where we go to connect with ourselves and with nature. We should resist any effort to take these lands away from the public trust.
Rick Mickelsen is a Wyoming native who has lived in Wheatland, Powell, Casper, Linch, Riverton and is now retired in Thermopolis after a 40-year career in the oil and gas industry. Rick hunts, fishes, skis, dirt bikes and hikes on the same public land from which he earned 75% of his living. He is the spokesperson for the Keep it Public Wyoming coalition.
