Dear editor:
In Wyoming, land is more than acreage; it’s how families make a living, raise their kids, and hold together a way of life that’s getting harder to manage. Protecting private property rights isn’t about politics for ranchers and landowners across the state. It’s about survival.
Times are changing; unpredictable markets, costs increasing, etc. When families are stretched thin trying to hold on to generational land, having the freedom to earn a living in different ways matters more than ever.
That includes being able to lease land for renewable energy, solar, wind, storage, carbon capture, hunting or splitting parcels for the next generation.
These aren’t handouts. They’re private, voluntary agreements made between landowners and developers. And for many families, these projects are the difference between staying on the land and selling out.
The Wyoming Constitution backs that up. It was written to protect liberty, property, and limited government. That means not just owning land, but deciding how to use it, without needing permission from a board, a neighbor, or a state agency to make a living.
Across the state, ranchers and landowners are using these rights to adapt. A family in Carbon County might run cattle and host a few wind turbines. A ranch in Fremont County could be grazing sheep and testing new water infrastructure funded by an energy lease. These aren’t threats to the Wyoming way of life. They’re what keeps it going.
Wind farms and grazing go hand in hand in Wyoming. Livestock and wildlife graze beneath the turbines, allowing ranchers to earn lease revenue while wildlife flourishes.
Trying to stop folks from using their land for energy projects, especially ones that bring in new income without harming the land, isn’t just short-sighted. It’s a threat to the very values this state was built on.
Growing up in the Cowboy State taught me that land ownership comes with freedom and responsibility. Over the decades, views have shifted, from low fence lines to taller buildings near downtowns, from dusty trails to power and transmission lines, oil rigs, and pump jacks scattered across the prairie. Subdivisions now crowd what was once open range. Change is as constant as the sunrise. Our duty remains to steward this land, uphold our rights, and make thoughtful decisions that keep ranching and the state we love alive for generations to come.
Many rural counties are already benefiting. Projects are bringing in tax revenue, jobs, and local spending. Most importantly, they’re giving Wyoming families another way to stay independent without relying on government bailouts or selling off the ranch.
Energy has always been part of Wyoming’s story, from coal and gas to uranium and wind. What matters isn’t the fuel source. It’s who gets to decide how the land is used.
This isn’t about turning Wyoming into something it’s not. It’s about ensuring landowners have every tool possible to keep doing what they’ve always done: feed their families, take care of the land, and pass something down.
Private property rights - a Western idea, a backbone of Wyoming and it deserves to be protected.
Sincerely,
Nancy Bath,
Tie Siding, Wyoming
