Wyoming bills seek to limit federal ownership of state's public lands
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Wyoming is one of several Western states where some lawmakers arguing states should have more control of the federally managed public lands within their borders, many of which contain oil, gas and mineral reserves.
Wyoming House Bill 118 would prohibit Wyomingites and the state from entering into any exchange or sale leading to a net gain for federal agencies of either land or mineral rights.
Gabrielle Yates, public land program manager for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, said the bill runs counter to state policies, which mandate lands be managed for "optimum, sustainable revenue production" and recognize land values are assessed by more than just acreage.
"House Bill 118 would hinder future access opportunities by limiting common sense land deals, while hurting the rights of landowners to sell their land to whoever they choose," Yates contended.
The push for legislation comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last month declined to hear a Utah lawsuit arguing control of public land by the Bureau of Land Management within its borders is unconstitutional. Wyoming, Alaska and Idaho issued an amicus brief in support of Utah's case. House Bill 118 passed the House and could be in a Senate committee as early as this week.
Senate Joint Resolution 2, which failed a third reading in the Senate by just two votes, would have demanded Congress transfer all public land and subsurface resources in Wyoming to the state. Yates pointed out it failed after an "overwhelming" number of Wyomingites spoke out against it.
"Several senators spoke to the fact that this issue was what their constituents were most passionate about this session," Yates reported. "People in Wyoming really value their public lands."
She noted sales of Wyoming trust lands benefit schools and students, like the $100 million sale of the 640-acre Kelly Parcel added to Grand Teton National Park in December.
