Perspectives: Utah Lawsuit Risks Wyoming Wildlife, Hunters, and Rural Communities

For Immediate Release
November 5, 2024

Utah Lawsuit Risks Wyoming Wildlife, Hunters, and Rural Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, LANDER (November 5, 2024) – The decision by Wyoming officials to support a Utah lawsuit – questioning the constitutionality of the federal government owning unappropriated public lands – poses a disturbing risk to wildlife, recreation, and rural communities in Wyoming and across the nation. Wyoming officials joined three amici briefs – one signed by Governor Gordon, another by a portion of Wyoming’s legislative body, and a third by Representative Harriet Hageman. If Utah prevails at the Supreme Court, public lands could shift from federal to state control or be privatized, leaving states to shoulder enormous management costs currently borne by federal agencies, including expensive wildfire suppression, law enforcement, infrastructure maintenance, and environmental compliance. Unlike federal lands managed for public access and multiple-use state trust lands, by law, must maximize revenue generation. Public access to state trust lands is not guaranteed, nor is there a priority placed on conserving wildlife and wildlife habitat, which risks Americans' long-standing legacy of shared natural spaces.

“The Wyoming Wildlife Federation (WWF) strongly advocates for continued federal management of our nation's public lands. Maintaining public ownership of our lands is essential to protecting our hunting, fishing, and trapping heritage. The Federation’s mission prioritizes our wildlife and their habitat in order to uphold our commitment to Wyoming’s constitutional right to hunt, fish, and trap. The access we Americans and Wyomingites have to these public land acres is a privilege and far exceeds any access we would be allowed under state-managed or privately owned lands. ” said Joy Bannon, Executive Director of the WWF. While Wyoming officials rightfully seek better coordination with federal agencies, Utah's lawsuit threatens core public land values.

The Utah lawsuit addresses 18.5 million acres of BLM lands in Utah, however, its implications reach much further. Utah challenges the federal government's constitutional authority to indefinitely own "unappropriated lands" - lands being held without any Congressionally designated purpose. If successful, this challenge could affect not just
BLM lands in Utah, but potentially all public lands managed by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service across the western United States. The stakes are particularly high in Wyoming, where the BLM manages 28% of lands, but the case's impact could extend to hundreds of millions of acres of federal public lands that have been central to American conservation, recreation, and resource management for over a century.

The Federation will continue to advocate for wildlife and their habitat by working with the Governor, state legislature, and federal officials to ensure Wyoming's voice is heard in public land management. These public lands are crucial for western wildlife, supporting vital migration corridors for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and habitat for hundreds of other species. They also guarantee access for millions of hunters, anglers, trappers, and outdoor enthusiasts to maintain their sporting heritage. The Federation is committed to finding a better path forward to improve management decisions while maintaining our vital public lands legacy.

For 87 years, the Federation has served as the voice of Wyoming's sportsmen and sportswomen, defending public access and wildlife conservation. "Given our long history of defending Wyoming's wildlife and outdoor heritage, we strongly urge Wyoming officials to withdraw and provide a different solution that doesn't impede upon our western way of life," said Bannon.