WYOMING — In a series of reversals, a resolution that demanded the U.S. Congress dispose of all public lands, except Yellowstone National Park, to the state failed its third reading vote in the Wyoming Senate on Monday, Feb. 10.
Fifteen Senators opposed SJ0002, and chose to keep 30 million acres of public lands in the hands of the federal government. The resolution stated that Wyoming is “entitled to exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction over all of the territory.”
Governor Mark Gordon said in a press address that a priority of his this term is to ensure more lands are under the purview of the state of Wyoming so “lease holders and permit holders will have a chance to look at a piece of land for acquisition.”
The vast majority of public lands are owned by federal resource agencies, including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation and the Fish and Wildlife Service. These agencies regularly restrict mineral development and future development on federal lands, the WLSO wrote in a Federal Land Ownership and Restrictions brief.
According to the BLM, the agency’s 18.4 million acres of public lands in Wyoming generated $252.1 billion in total economic output and supported 949,000 total jobs during fiscal year (FY) 2023.
In response to the resolution’s defeat, owner of The Sports Lure in Buffalo Luke Todd told Keep it Public, Wyoming, that public lands support the state’s economy.
“Outdoor businesses represent a growing industry that brings in billions of dollars into the state each year, employs tens of thousands of Wyomingites and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual state and local tax revenue,” Todd said. “Our success is directly tied to our vast public lands and any proposals to jeopardize our customer’s access would have negative impacts to our industry.”
