In this year’s legislative budget session, the state funded everything necessary and yet put $700 million into the state savings account.
The Wyoming State Treasurer’s Office now has $28.5 billion in investments. So why are we trying to sell/trade the Columbus Peak parcel of state land?
With the discovery of rare earth deposits near Wheatland, Sheridan and Upton, which apparently have values near $100 billion, the State of Wyoming stands to receive incredible amounts of cash from severance taxes from these new mines. So why are we attempting to dispose of state lands?
Why are so many people moving to Wyoming? It is because of the outdoor experiences they can find here.
One of the greatest losses in society is losing touch with nature, but Wyoming still has a lot of it left. We shouldn’t be reckless with our greatest treasure.
If the Columbus Peak land exchange goes through, the state will lose a wonderful piece of prime wildlife habitat and access to a huge incredible bass pond.
When the Dayton East property is sold to a developer, as hoped for in the detailed analysis, then the state also loses that property, and with the new homeowners and their associated buildings and activities, the citizens of Wyoming lose some of the recreational value of the Lowe Draw state land.
So, we come up losing in three different ways. The State Legislature just put $6 million into an account earmarked for outdoor recreation, so why are we selling some of the very best state land?
The reason there is such an issue with this state land in Sheridan County is because we have almost no BLM land in this county that could be used for recreation.
The University of Wyoming, which could be the recipient of most of the interest money from this transaction. was originally in favor of it. Three days after the public hearing at Sheridan College, in which there was overwhelming public and governmental opposition to the proposed exchange, the UW Board of Trustees voted to become neutral on the exchange, which means they are not in favor of it.
The recreational value of remote state land that is contiguous with other great wildlife habitat far out- weighs any public land that has a county road through it. State land with immediate public access always has recreational shooters, dog walkers, hikers, etc. which translates to very little wildlife in these areas.
The Dayton East property will have very little hunting value since 90% of it is completely viewable from the county road and has immediate access.
The opposition in this area, to this proposed exchange is the entire Sheridan County legislative delegation, all the members of the Sheridan County Commissioners, and all of the Dayton City Council Members. The comments in favor of the exchange are 26 (2.3%), seven for neutral (.6%) and opposed 1,082 (97.1%).
If our local governmental representatives are not listened to by the State Land Board, what good does it do for us to have them?
The people of this community believe that if the applicant for this exchange was John Q Rancher, this horse would have never gotten out of the chute.
I hope the five elected officials of the State Land Board will listen to the people of Wyoming. This land exchange is a bad idea from top to bottom and inside out.
Mike Barrett, Dayton
