U.S. Sen. Mike Lee’s proposal to sell millions of acres of national public lands throughout Wyoming and the West was eliminated from the Congressional budget bill this week – but conservation advocates say they remain vigilant, as Lee has indicated he will revise his proposal in an effort to continue moving it forward.
“Don’t take your foot off the gas just yet,” the public land advocacy coalition Keep It Public, Wyoming said in a social media post on Wednesday. “Sen. Lee is already back at it, trying to jam through a different version of his wildly unpopular proposal to sell off our public lands.”
In a press release Monday, KIPW said Lee’s original proposal could have made almost 15 million acres of public land in Wyoming available for sell-off.
The press release also included a letter from 85 Wyoming businesses – more than one-third of which are based in Fremont County – asking U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis “to oppose any sale or transfer of public lands in the budget reconciliation package being considered in the U.S. Senate.”
“There is an existing process for land swaps that allow for public input, and revenue is directed to increasing public access,” David Merrill, owner of Recreational Archery Development and The Bow Spider in Kinnear, said in the press release. “That is not the case with this proposal. Public lands belong in public hands, and not one acre should be allowed for sale. Our grandchildren’s children will need access and places to enjoy.”
Lauren Heerschap, co-owner of Riverton-based Brunton International, was also quoted in the press release.
“Our business is based in Wyoming primarily because of our access to public lands and the opportunities, experiences, and quality of life those lands provide both our employees and customers,” Heerschap said. “These threats to our public lands not only threaten the backbone of our economy, but they also threaten our very identity as Westerners. Public lands provide the heartbeat of our communities, and companies – and communities – like ours may never recover from their loss.”
On Wednesday, KIPW urged supporters to continue contacting Barrasso and Lummis on the topic of public lands, despite Lee’s proposal being eliminated from the budget bill.
“Don’t let up!” KIPW said. “It’s not over till it’s over. Tell Wyoming’s senators what you think of plans to sell off our national public lands.”
The Wyoming Democratic Party shared a similar sentiment Wednesday, warning that “the fight for public lands is far from over.”
“Many are breathing a sigh of relief after the ruling that stripped Sen. Lee’s proposed mass sell-off of public lands from the reconciliation bill, (but) Lee has vowed to return with another version of the same proposal,” the WDP said in a press release Wednesday. “Sens. Barrasso and Lummis have been flooded with calls and emails. … We urge everyone across the state to join us and continue calling and writing.”
The WDP invited residents to attend a Public Lands Rally at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne. The Fremont County Democratic Party is also hosting a local version of the event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday in Lander.