Public lands must not be for sale

“Where the buffalo roam. And the deer and the antelope play.” This is part of the lyrics for the song “Home on the Range.” Wyoming would be one of the states painting that image. And our public lands -- the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS) -- provide the expanses hosting most of these herds. 

Preserving public lands for the public, you and me, to freely enter and use these lands has been in contention for several years. States have posed taking over governing (and financing) these lands. Turning public lands into residential areas to absorb the expansion of human habitat needs has been tossed about. The federal government manages roughly 30 million acres of public lands in Wyoming (nearly 48% of the state). That seems like a lot. But let’s think about this for a bit.

First, there’s the perception that public use would somehow stay status quo. But would it? Does anyone remember when Ted Turner bought up private land and public land leases for his 113,000-acre ranch in Montana’s Galatin Gateway region? Bison, elk, moose, mule deer, bears, cougar and wolves resided there. And suddenly no one could hunt that land. It was essentially closed to the public.

He has a smaller 13,000-acre ranch in Montana, as well. The quiet acquisition of private land abutting public land is happening already with the billionaire class. They acquire tracts of land that obstruct public access. If chunks of public lands are to be sold off for private ownership, and you want a few acres for a cabin on a little creek, do you honestly think you can outbid Musk or Zuckerberg or Kushner or Saudi Arabia’s crown prince who could purchase multi-thousand acre swathes?

Consider this: U.S. wildlife is “owned” by the general public, not landowners. In many European countries, wildlife is privately owned, with hunting rights reserved for the upper class. Per annual average, European hunts costs between $29,000 and $35,000, while an average U.S. hunter spends $2,800.

 One considerable problem to emerge would be the costs to manage these lands. A big budget eater for Western states is fire control and suppression. Most fires that blow past a few thousand acres and threaten structures and adjoining property require slurry drops and water dumps from aircraft, and they need a myriad of personnel and equipment to run it. Expect these price tags to rise well past a million dollars if they run for several days. Those airshows are pricey. 

Some statistics: In 2025, tracking by the Department of the Interior showed overall wildfire suppression costs for Wyoming reached about $21 million for federal fires across roughly 253,000 burned acres. State and cooperative agencies managed 18 large fires, bringing that total to nearly $33.5 million in overall joint suppression costs for Wyoming.

Then there’s the revenue federal public lands generate for Wyoming, offsetting some of these costs. In Fiscal Year 2025, Wyoming received $37,251,597 in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds from the federal government. What this means is that PILT monies put 25% of profits made by companies utilizing/leasing the ground for drilling, logging, mining, grazing and recreation into the corresponding county’s coffers for construction and repairs of highways and infrastructure in cities, towns and the University of Wyoming. This windfall is a primary reason Wyoming’s state budget is in the black. If public lands are sold or handed to the state to manage, the federal PILT monies will be forfeited. Then don’t be surprised if Wyoming installs state individual income taxes to make up for the shortfall. 

Public land set aside by the government for public use and recreation (thank you, Teddy Roosevelt) is currently maintained by federal taxpayer dollars. The public lands’ 2026 budget of $9 billion is miniscule compared to other federal programs such as federal highways getting $147 billion and the military’s massive $839 billion chunk.

For years, Wyoming has attracted professionals, families and retirees to move here to live and work, immersing in our way of life, closely tied to our vast public lands. A prime motivation for them to uproot and take this leap, becoming Wyomingites, is enjoyment of all the unique recreation, hunting, fishing and outdoor opportunities provided by the Western mountain states. They bring their skills, services and incomes when they join our communities to become neighbors and coworkers.

Bottom line: Public lands are an essential piece to Wyoming’s fiscal health, statewide tourism and business and community infrastructure. Protect it. Always.