Five years ago the Wyoming legislature adopted the Code of the West as the official State Code. Number nine of the ten articles spelled out in this code implore all Wyomingites to “Remember that some things are not for sale.” I mention this with a token of irony as discussions continue to be had regarding the transferring of United States of America’s public lands to the states.
On the surface, no pun intended, the average Wyomingite would probably see this proposal as a good idea with a plethora of benefits and upsides. Heck, momentum of support can be had in any western town when the prelude of conversation begins with smaller government, state’s rights, and local control. However, I am confident that when given the full scope of consideration, this idea would rock the very core that makes living in the West so cherished.
While I personally despise an over bearing federal government, the fact of the matter is that the key word being overlooked in this discussion is, PUBLIC. What’s really at stake here is beyond you and me and the interests of today. The concept of public land is distinctly American, a direct result of our forebears living in places where a person could be punished or even killed for entering the “king’s forest” or hunting the “king’s deer.” Public lands were created to provide places where anyone could recreate and relish the precious stillness, sceneries, and bounties that can be found while enjoying public land.
There is no doubt that there is room for improvement regarding the management of our public lands, of which 18 million acres of surface ownership sits within the boundaries of the Cowboy State. Transferring these lands to the states is not the answer. Public lands belong in the public’s hands. The answer is to get involved at the local level, engaging the processes that can provoke change. There isn’t a one size fits all approach.
To assist in the scope of consideration, contemplate the following information. Individual states do not have the resources to manage these additional lands. Items such as fire suppression, habitat restoration, noxious weed/invasive species control, and road maintenance costs millions of dollars annually. 300 plus million American’s that own these lands flip the bill for the management of our public lands. How much revenue will Wyoming’s 585,000 residents generate to cover the cost of such lands within state lines? The United States of America’s public lands in Wyoming are managed with an operating budget of approximately 105 million dollars annually. This is a very simple math equation. Wyoming can’t afford the management of our public lands.
In addition to the crystal clear economics, it is also worth noting what I believe should be held with the highest regard, that once public lands are transferred to states, these lands are no longer yours and mine. In Wyoming, state lands are managed to return maximum revenue to the state school trust. Access to state lands is described “as a privilege and not a right” as there is no camping or open fire permitted on state land. From a sportsmen’s perspective I think it is safe to assume that this alone would have significant impact to the recreational opportunities sportsmen enjoy in God’s perfect square.
Now to the core rocking scenario that should garner the attention of everyone who has ever benefited from recreational opportunities afforded on public land. What happens to these lands once they are transferred and the states cannot afford to manage them? The fact of the matter is that as history has shown, these lands would be sold. At statehood, Wyoming was granted 4.2 million acres of state lands and has to-date sold over 700,000 acres. Nearly 1/4 of these state lands are now private – inaccessible behind “No Trespassing” signs and locked gates.
The cold, hard, economic fact is that unaffordable costs associated with managing state lands would force the sale of these lands to private entities, thus removing any notion that one may have perceived to be the public’s land. Even with legal verbiage in place, to ensure public access would be granted, or wildlife habitat would be maintained as a management priority, or perhaps even legal safeguards to make the sale of such lands preposterous, do we want to write history as the self-gratifying society that sold the heart of what we value as a fundamental foundation of our freedom? I think history, in this regard, is littered with good intentions. I would rather not roll the dice on the notion that these private lands would be available for public access and the quality of life that has become synonymous with our western heritage and what we value beyond vocabulary definitions.
In 1940, Woodie Guthrie wrote the famed folk song, “This land is your land.” 75 years later, Gutherie’s prophetic words are nothing short of an anthem for public land. As the tune continues, “As I went walking I saw a sign there, and on the sign it said ‘No Trespassing.’ But on the other side it didn’t say nothing, that side was made for you and me.” While before my time, the words of this song echo a sentiment that is nothing short of a beacon for what is truly the birthright of all Americans. The discussion of transferring your land and my land is a thinly veiled, slippery and dangerous slope to the privatization of our wild things and wild places.
Wyoming’s State Code, the Code of the West, calls on us to “Ride for the brand”, and I can proudly say that in defending our Wyoming traditions, values, and way of life it is my hope that as Wyomingites we lead the charge to address the real issue at hand and help foster engagement and solution seeking efforts to fix what seems to be the underlying reason such discussions even began. It is my sincerest pleasure to ride with all of you for the Wyoming brand, a brand that I am proud to say is 100 percent made in America.
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