Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation staffers recently gathered with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and those from other hunting, fishing and outdoor organizations to address challenges, opportunities and priorities as a new legislature will soon descend on Cheyenne, as well as new representation both in Congress and the White House.
There was significant discussion about the status of public lands in Wyoming, particularly regarding legal actions taken by Utah to transfer Bureau of Land Management lands to state ownership. RMEF has significant concerns about the scheme. Wyoming has both state lands and state trust lands. Those state lands have a much broader multiple use mandate than trust lands, so details of any land transfer scheme will have different implications.
There was a positive discussion about initiating land exchanges with the BLM and other federal land agencies to consolidate federal lands that are currently inaccessible due to a checkerboard ownership pattern.
Wyoming is a longtime leader in proactively addressing big game migration and prioritizing habitat in those key areas. Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Angi Bruce reminded the group, “If you prioritize everything, you are prioritizing nothing,” an approach that matches RMEF’s strategy and ensures that other land uses including agriculture and energy can coexist with conservation.
“With nearly a third of the legislature being new in 2025, it is critical for RMEF members to reach out to their legislators to explain how hunting is conservation, and that wildlife management is a critical part of Wyoming’s economy and way of life,” said Ryan Bronson, RMEF director of government affairs who was in attendance.
Bronson also urged members and all Wyoming outdoorsmen and women to attend a Camo at the Capitol rally on February 13, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in Cheyenne.
New legislator contact information will be available at RMEF.org when the new session begins on January 14, 2025.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)