A message from State House of Representatives candidate Shannon Brennan:
JACKSON, Wyo. — More than 97% of District 23 is under federal jurisdiction. Shannon Brennan believes that national parks, national forests and Bureau of Land Management lands belong to the public and should not be influenced by private special-interest groups. Wyoming water rights and water quality are also key priorities for Brennan.
Conservation and Public Lands
Shannon will amplify local perspectives into a unified, strong, and effective voice in the legislature to ensure that the environment doesn’t face unacceptable changes and degradation. She will balance the need to manage forests for fire suppression against the creation of permanent roads for unfettered and unlimited access.
She supports the protection of trails, viewscapes, lakes, and streams for recreational enjoyment. She supports the protection of fish and wildlife while balancing multiple use such as agriculture, grazing, and extractive industries activities.
Water in Wyoming
Other states want Wyoming water because the state hosts the headwaters for four of the seven major river systems in the West. But Wyoming needs water for irrigation, agriculture, and recreation – a large component of this state’s and Teton County’s economy. Yet data centers, out-of-state irrigators, and downstream municipalities are placing this water under attack.
As a water rights owner and as a current member of the Wyoming Governor’s Groundwater Advisory Committee, Shannon will move this issue to the forefront in Teton County and Cheyenne. She will fight for minimum streamflow rights to save the state’s fisheries, and for the retention of reservoir levels for agricultural, recreation, and flood control.
With the dramatic increase in population, both the pristine surface and groundwater have degraded. Although many organizations have expressed concern and even have assisted with monitoring, the management and oversight of water quality must be formalized. Shannon will advocate for more formalized processes to tighten septic system compliance, injection well permitting, and agricultural effluent regulation to protect drinking water and keep recreational water clean.
As a former liaison between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Energy, Shannon has overseen the monitoring of the second largest aquifer in the country. She understands hydrology and fate transport. She will support water quality rule-making to protect health, recreation, and wildlife from the impacts of growth and development.
Her platform is built on decades of hands-on experience with the issues that matter most to District 23 — not talking points, but real policy informed by real expertise. There is too much at stake to settle for anything less.
Vote for Shannon Brennan on Nov. 3.
