Legislature

Big wins in the legislative interim — but we’ve still got work to do

Posted on by Kristen Gunther

DECEMBER 2019 UPDATE: Bills for the Wyoming State Legislature’s 2020 budget session are being prepared for introduction. In the coming weeks, we’ll begin our pre-session planning — stay tuned for more details about the bills we’ll expect to see. We’re excited to support the formation of a Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund account, and we’ll continue tracking efforts around Greater sage-grouse mitigation and new channels to fund wildlife crossings from the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee. Along with those details, we’ll be keeping you posted about the best ways to engage with ongoing budget negotiations, and how to speak up against legislative attempts to interfere with big game migration corridors.

Last month, we shared an update with you about the chaos and lack of transparency that has riddled this legislative interim. We highlighted four problematic bills that would have explicitly undermined our shared Wyoming conservation values: two that would have essentially killed rooftop solar in the state; one that would have opened the door to making Wyoming the nation’s dump for nuclear waste; and another that would jeopardize big game migration corridors, undermine science-based wildlife management, and strip authority from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

You responded in force. Because of your dedicated engagement — writing to and calling legislators, showing up at committee meetings, and spreading the word about the importance of fighting these bad bills — we have some great news to report. 

Anti-solar and pro-nuclear waste bills defeated

When the legislature’s Joint Corporations Committee considered gutting the state’s net-metering law — the statute that enables homeowners and small businesses to connect rooftop solar panels to the grid — the response from the public was swift. We’ve been in touch with hundreds of you who are passionate about protecting renewable energy options for Wyoming consumers, and supporting the small but growing in-state solar industry. After hundreds of messages were sent to the committee (more messages than the committee has received on any other topic this interim); after citizens gathered around the state to discuss these bills; and after four hours of public testimony in a packed meeting room, the committee voted not to advance either anti-solar bill forward. The Wyoming people spoke up, and the committee took the time to listen — that’s right, Wyoming people won. 

Strong, spirited public opposition was also a factor in defeating a proposal to store the nation’s high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming. This “zombie” bill reflected an idea has been considered repeatedly by decision-makers in the last several decades, and defeated each time — it’s been rejected by two different governors. Analysis also quickly revealed it would bring in only a few million dollars, while posing risks to Wyoming lands and people. Once again, Wyomingites of all stripes reached out to decision-makers and to their friends and neighbors, making it clear that the Wyoming public won’t allow our state to be turned into a nuclear waste dump. And at the Joint Minerals Committee meeting earlier in November, it was clear that the public response against this bill had been heard loud and clear: the bill’s original proponent withdrew the bill wholesale. 

We are grateful to the legislators on these committees for taking the time to listen — and then respond positively to — strong, unified public input against both proposals. The successful outcomes on these bills reflect the power of Wyoming citizen voices and input: when we say that your voice matters and makes a difference, this is why. 

Still on the horizon: legislative takeover of wildlife migration management 

Unfortunately, not everything we have to share is good news. Despite strong public opposition against a Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee bill that would derail conservation of wildlife migration corridors, the committee elected to move this bad bill forward. Stakeholders ranging from agriculture and county governments to sportsmen and conservation groups weighed in to raise concerns — both in advance and in the meeting room. A Game and Fish Commissioner objected to the idea that anyone but the Game and Fish has the authority to designate habitat, while the governor’s policy advisor said the timing for the legislation was problematic given the pending migration corridor executive order that Gov. Gordon will issue. But the committee refused to take a step back. 

That said, the public continued to make a big impression: the committee readily acknowledged that Wyoming people are incredibly invested in protecting wildlife and the landscapes that support them, and referenced the immense amount of contact they’ve received on this issue. Though the committee made some attempts to make the bill look more palatable, it remains a dangerous, anti-wildlife, and anti-science proposition. We’ll need your help to make sure this bill doesn’t move forward in Cheyenne in 2020, and that the Governor’s executive order is strong and will be successfully implemented. 

As always, thank you for all that you do to fight for good conservation policy for Wyoming. Your voice is critical — and it matters. Please stay tuned as we move toward this year’s session … we’ll need your help again! 

This chaotic and rogue legislative interim requires citizen voices!

Posted on by Kristen Gunther
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Over the last several months, we’ve been hearing from many of you who are frustrated that the Legislature has been unusually difficult to keep up with. We hear you. Here at the Wyoming Outdoor Council, we, too, have been struggling to deal with legislative committees’ lack of transparency, last-minute additions to meeting agendas, information gaps, and problematic interventions into other branches of government. We will be advocating for increased transparency and accountability in the coming months.

The chaos of this interim demands, more than usual, a high level of public attention and participation. That means that you’ll be hearing from us frequently in the coming weeks as we work to combat a few very bad ideas with major ramifications for Wyoming.

Here’s an overview of some of the upcoming bad draft bills we need to defeat:

Political interference in wildlife migration corridor management

Over the summer, the Outdoor Council tracked and provided feedback to the governor’s Wildlife Migration Advisory Group. All stakeholders were at the table, including the oil and gas industry. The group’s hard work, collaboration, and good-faith negotiation resulted in full stakeholder consensus on a proposed state-level solution that will protect Wyoming’s most critical wildlife habitat, create balance among uses, and support the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. On the recommendation of this group, the governor will be drafting an executive order concerning migration corridors, an important step for protecting the future of our big game herds.

This should have been the beginning of a new chapter for wildlife migrations, with big game corridor management now guided by a citizen-backed state process designed to meet all needs. 

Instead, seemingly out of the blue, the Select Federal Natural Resource Management committee suddenly decided to take on the topic of big game migration. They’ve now drafted a bill that undermines science, the authority of the Game and Fish, and the entire North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Most importantly, it poses a direct threat to the vital habitat that keeps our big game populations alive. 

Why did this happen? How was a process started by the governor suddenly undercut by the Legislature? The oil and gas industry presented its point of view to the governor’s advisory group multiple times — and received everything it asked for — but apparently, the industry wants more. Specifically, it’s clear that they don’t want to be required to mitigate their impacts to migration corridors. So rather than work in good faith with the rest of the stakeholders, industry voices have ignored recommendations that their representatives agreed to and asked the Legislature to intervene. 

Unfortunately, lawmakers are listening. The resulting bill would let oil and gas call the shots and would undo years of important collaborative work on migration corridor identification and protections. Rather than let science and thoughtful public input guide wildlife management, this disastrous bill would cede wildlife authority to inappropriate agencies (e.g. the Department of Revenue) and undermine the governor’s commitment to sensible, compromise solutions. It’s an egregious overreach, and it’s just plain wrong. 

Simply put, it’s the job of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department — not politicians — to interpret the science and manage our wildlife. We need to let this committee know that. 
If you have an interest in supporting migration corridors, please watch your inbox. The committee will meet on Wednesday, October 23 in Casper, and members of the public are encouraged to attend and comment.

Zombie nuclear waste proposals return to Wyoming

Nuclear waste was another topic not publicly vetted for the interim. But sometimes, bad ideas take on a life of their own (or rise from the dead). If you were surprised to see this issue resurface after being vetoed by Wyomingites repeatedly over the decades…well, we were, too.

As many of you have read, a special subcommittee of the Joint Minerals committee met last month to discuss whether Wyoming should consider storing spent fuel rods (high-level radioactive waste) in our state. This is an idea that has been proposed and shot down more than once; two different Wyoming governors have vetoed it. Storing nuclear waste poses many practical and logistical threats to Wyoming, and wouldn’t even generate the amount of money legislators hoped. We find it unacceptable that the Legislature chose to consider such a controversial topic without proper public vetting. 

For more details, check out our fact sheet on nuclear waste storage — and learn why it’s (still) a terrible idea for Wyoming. The Minerals committee will consider this topic at their upcoming meeting on November 5 in Casper, and we’ll send an alert to our members to remind you of this opportunity for public comment.

Killing off rooftop solar in Wyoming?

Last year, Wyoming’s House of Representatives passed a bill that the Outdoor Council (alongside partner organization Powder River Basin Resource Council) worked to advance, which would have supported expanded opportunities for rooftop solar arrays. Unfortunately, the bill hit a brick wall in the Senate, where it was considered a threat to coal-fired power plants. However, the Legislature decided to take on rooftop solar as an interim topic.

The Corporations committee’s work on this issue took a destructive turn when opponents of small solar used the discussion as an opportunity to make our current laws more hostile toward solar. The committee is now considering two draft bills that would effectively gut solar opportunities in Wyoming — damaging a growing industry, killing jobs, and reducing the ability of consumers to choose how they want to power their homes. 

We’ll be reaching out to you prior to the final Corporations meeting, which is scheduled for November 18–19 in Cheyenne, to let you know how you can speak up for renewable energy choices for Wyoming consumers. 

Final thoughts

These are only three of the many issues that citizens have struggled with during the legislative interim. Overall, many of us have been dismayed at the flood of last-minute decisions and lack of transparency we’ve seen, including left-field attacks on local conservation and community planning efforts, changes in meeting locations and topics, and sometimes late circulation of meeting materials. 

But we’ll continue working hard to bring you the information that you need to stay informed and engaged. The Outdoor Council is committed to advocating that our state legislature work in the public eye and for the public interest of Wyomingites. We believe that together we can achieve important policy victories that secure a strong, conservation-focused future for Wyoming — and defeat bad ideas that threaten our shared heritage and love of the outdoors. 

Thank you for being an important partner in this work, and stay tuned to learn more about opportunities to ensure we can move forward together, instead of doubling down on the bad ideas of the past. 

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Nuclear waste storage: STILL wrong for Wyoming

Posted on by Steff Kessler

The idea of storing high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming has been fully vetted and roundly rejected several times over the years. Yet the Wyoming Legislature resurrected this bad idea last month when it formed a subcommittee — behind closed doors — to study the issue. The Wyoming Outdoor Council, our members, and our partners have stood together with neighbors from all over the state and across the political spectrum to oppose such proposals. And we will do so again.

Simply put, the risks of allowing Wyoming to become a destination for high-level radioactive waste from the nation’s nuclear reactors far outweigh any short-term economic gain the state might realize. Storing nuclear waste here would risk our safety and tarnish Wyoming’s reputation as a pristine outdoor and tourism destination —  hurting business, agriculture, and economic development efforts that are so vital to the state’s future.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Wyoming and other states have learned that gambling with the federal government’s promises over nuclear waste storage is risky business. As Gov. Mike Sullivan put it in his statement vetoing the siting of a nuclear waste facility  back in 1992:

“I am absolutely unpersuaded that Wyoming can rely on the assurances we receive from the federal government. Even granting the personal integrity and sincerity of the individuals currently speaking for the federal government, there can be no guarantees or even assurances that the federal government’s attitudes or policies will be the same one, five, ten or 50 years from now. We have seen the roller coaster ride of federal involvement and attitudes. … Nor do I trust the federal government or the nuclear industry to assure our interests as a state are protected.”

There are numerous reasons why the “temporary” storage of the nation’s high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming has been repeatedly rejected by our residents — and why it remains a bad idea today.

  • There is no guarantee that storage will be temporary. Once a “temporary” facility is constructed, it is likely to become a de facto permanent repository. There are no legal, political, or financial mechanisms to ensure the waste would ever be removed. In fact, many suspect the approval of a “temporary” storage site would halt the politically difficult effort of finding a permanent disposal site.

  • There is no need to store this waste away from reactor sites. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made a regulatory determination that spent nuclear fuels can be safely stored at the reactor sites for the next 100+ years.
     
  • Transporting high-level radioactive waste across the country is complicated, risky, full of unknowns, and will occur at a magnitude of shipments and miles never before conducted in the U.S. New transport casks have not been developed or tested, infrastructure is not ready, emergency response capacity is lacking, and the routes and risks of transporting this high-level radioactive waste have not been adequately evaluated.

  • Storing high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming will hurt the state’s image as a premier outdoor destination and a producer of high-quality agricultural products. This, in turn, would likely impact current and future economic development and diversification efforts and would lower property values.
     
  • Such temporary facilities are illegal. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act allows for a “temporary” storage facility only once the permanent waste repository is operating. Work at Yucca Mountain, the nation’s only proposed permanent waste repository, has halted. Congress would have to act to make such a facility legal — yet there are no states willing to host a permanent storage facility.

For more background and details about nuclear waste storage, read this fact sheet.

We wholeheartedly support Wyoming lawmakers’ desire to explore new ways to meet the challenge of declining revenues. But turning Wyoming into the nation’s nuclear waste dump was a bad idea before, and it remains a bad idea today. Nothing has changed. Even more troubling? The closed-door manner in which the new legislative subcommittee was formed to study the issue this year: a vote taken by email, without public notice, lacking transparency and flouting the legislature’s own rules regarding interim studies.

There are no easy fixes for declining state revenue, and storing high-level radioactive waste would simply not provide not the kind of economic “diversification” that Wyoming needs. It’s an idea that looks backward, not forward. 

Instead, we must create a vision for our future that embraces the special resources and assets that truly make Wyoming a place people want to live and do business — including our strong public schools, workforce, wildlife, open space, agricultural heritage, and outdoor way of life.

We’ll need your help — again — to speak up and stop this misguided idea for Wyoming.

The “Spent Fuel Rods subcommittee” will meet on Thursday, September 5th, in Casper at 8:30 a.m. (location to be determined). We’ll be there, but it’s unclear whether the subcommittee will allow public comment. The subcommittee will report to the full Joint Minerals Committee on November 4 or 5 for a decision about moving forward with potential legislation. We’ll alert you about this public comment opportunity, but it will be helpful to start talking with your elected officials now about how nuclear waste is wrong for Wyoming. 

Read this detailed fact sheet for a list of committee members and emails and for more information about the risky business of high-level radioactive waste.

Leading smart conservation policy at the state legislature

Posted on by Dustin Bleizeffer
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Many legislative committees have already launched into their “interim” work (the rest of the year between winter sessions), and we’ve been traveling the state to attend the public hearings and advocate for smart conservation policy.

Last month we mentioned a major legislative success: you helped us convince the Minerals Committee to back off from a proposal for the state to take over the federal authority for evaluating oil and gas development (and other projects) on public lands in Wyoming. Read this WyoFile article for more details about abandoning the idea for Wyoming taking over NEPA primacy. This is the level of influence we can have when we collectively mobilize and engage with lawmakers throughout the year. Thank you!

A good governance opportunity

We traveled to Gillette to cover the “joint” (House and Senate) Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee, which takes on big topics with big implications, such as fossil fuel and renewable energy policies.

One proposal we’re following closely would revise public comment rules regarding permitted mines (think gravel pits and everything that’s not a big coal mine). The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s public comment rules generally allow for adequate public notice, public comment, and comment response. However, when it comes to non-coal mines, any public comment on a proposed permit automatically triggers a hearing before the DEQ’s governing body — the Environmental Quality Council.

This can be intimidating for citizens and small groups that merely wish to provide information and comments that may be useful for the DEQ to consider. Environmental Quality Council cases are legally technical — proceedings are similar to a court hearing. Often there are discovery submissions and attorneys involved. All of this can discourage citizens from weighing in and offering helpful information regarding a proposed small mine permit.

We’re supporting a measure that would allow for an informal conference before triggering a full hearing before the EQC. This good governance revision will encourage more free exchange and problem solving among stakeholders and the DEQ.

Time to refocus on oil and gas emissions, and ozone

At the Minerals Committee, we also heard a report by the DEQ about the series of dangerous ozone spikes in the Upper Green River Basin this past winter. The DEQ recently conducted a survey of compliance among oil and gas operators there. DEQ Administrator Todd Parfitt told committee members the results were disappointing: the agency found that operators were less than 70 percent in compliance with emissions requirements.

We’re grateful to the Pinedale-based Citizens United for Responsible Energy Development for its leadership on this issue. They identified compliance and inspection issues as essential for lowering industrial emissions in the area. We’re joining the grassroots organization in seeking solutions that will help ensure clean air in the Upper Green River Basin — including better accountability from the state to protect clean air and public health.

Stay tuned — we’ll write about ozone efforts in a separate blog post.

In coming months, the Minerals Committee will also explore measures regarding Wyoming’s oil and gas regulations, as well as potential actions to better manage a historic glut of applications for permit to drill in eastern Wyoming. We expect more discussion and action on these topics at the committee’s next hearing in August.

Wildlife, renewable energy, invasive species

Also in Gillette, the Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee laid out several options to provide stable funding for safer wildlife crossings. There’s broad support for this effort, but still a lot of discussion ahead about how to fund it. The Wyoming Department of Transportation’s top 10 priority wildlife crossing projects are estimated to cost between $197.5 million to $256 million. (Check out WyDOT’s excellent wildlife crossings presentation here.)

At the Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee hearing in Casper, we encouraged lawmakers to consider more flexibility in Wyoming’s laws regarding onsite renewable energy use, including rooftop solar installations and net-metering. We see many opportunities for the state to modernize its laws around small-scale, onsite renewable energy to support property owners’ desire for electrical self-sufficiency and to help add more jobs in response to growing demand for renewables.

Next, we’ll travel to Sheridan for the Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee hearing where the growing threat of invasive plant species will be a major topic. In Gillette, the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee will discuss chronic wasting disease, state lands, and efforts to encourage Wyoming’s growing tourism and outdoor recreation industries.

Good conservation legislation depends on you!

In all of our conservation advocacy we look for ways to be proactive, and that includes forwarding a conservation agenda for the legislature. We’re currently crafting several measures we believe all Wyomingites can get behind (more on these later) — and we want to hear from you about your conservation ideas. Our work is not possible without you! If you have an idea the legislature should consider, or if you’re looking for more details about a legislative topic we’re following, contact our program director Steff Kessler at stephanie@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org.

Don’t forget to check the legislature’s calendar for upcoming meetings and agendas. You can also livestream many of the meetings as they happen. To watch past legislative meetings, go to the Wyoming Legislature’s website, click on the committee you’re interested in, and click on the “audio/video” tab.

 

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We’re shaping legislative policy year-round

Posted on by Steff Kessler
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Thanks to your quick action, the Joint Minerals Committee backed off from a proposal for the State of Wyoming to take over the federal process of evaluating and making recommendations for oil and gas developments and other industrial projects on public lands in Wyoming. Thank you!

Nearly 100 of you answered our call to write to members of the committee asking them to oppose the idea of the state taking primacy over implementation of the federal National Environmental Policy Act. This is the kind of positive influence we can have when citizens take part in the legislature’s formative “interim” period (the legislative work that happens between winter sessions).

To learn more about why NEPA primacy should remain with the federal government, read this fact sheet.

So far this month we’ve covered the Joint Revenue Committee in Lander, Joint Corporations in Casper, and Joint Minerals in Gillette. We’ll travel to Sheridan to cover the Joint Agriculture Committee next.

Stay tuned!

The legislature holds dozens of “joint” (House and Senate) committees throughout the year, around Wyoming. These meetings are open to the public, and they offer an opportunity for citizens to address the committee and to speak with legislators individually during breaks.

Check the legislature’s calendar for upcoming meetings and meeting agendas. You can also livestream meetings as they happen. To watch videos of past legislative meetings, go to the Wyoming Legislature’s website, click on the committee you’re interested in, and click on the “audio/video” tab.

We’ll have more detailed updates on the issues we’re tracking in our June newsletter.

 

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WOC’s legislative interns take the capitol!

Posted on by Kristen Gunther

Conservation had some great wins at the 2019 legislative session! In addition to the creation of our first-ever Wyoming Public Lands Day, we saw the passage of several important bills that better fund and protect our natural resources. Plus, every bad bill that we opposed was defeated.

Wyoming Outdoor Council staff spent many weeks and many long hours in Cheyenne — and in addition to the support of citizens and partner groups, a big part of our success was the incredible team of legislative interns who joined lobbyists Steff Kessler and Kristen Gunther. Three interns each worked for a week, researching, testifying, and keeping track of the legislative action to sharpen their skills as citizen conservation lobbyists.

We asked them to share their experiences, in their own words:

Mary Grace Bedwell

I am a second year graduate student pursuing my Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. I’m originally from Alabama, so working closely with the people who cultivate policy in my new home of Wyoming was a new and exciting experience. After working with WOC at the legislature, I feel energized and empowered to make a difference in Wyoming and beyond.

WOC intern Mary Grace Bedwell takes a selfie with Chairman Hans Hunt and Greg Cook (Department of Revenue)

My favorite moment came when, during a House Agriculture Committee meeting I was attending, I realized that one of my favorite family friends and my cousin’s college roommate were in the same room with me! Not only was it awesome to see these folks I hadn’t seen in years, but it was amazing to realize just how interactive and easy to access the legislature is in Wyoming.

The lessons I learned through my brief internship will have lasting impacts on my life and my career. I found joy and invigoration in advocacy that I plan to take with me in my future. I cannot speak more highly of the experiences I had working with WOC. I have always wanted to work to save the world, and if more folks were as motivated and driven in what they do as the amazing individuals I had the pleasure of working with, then doing just that will be much easier.

Jason Hill

Prior to participating in the legislative lobbying internship, I’d also taken part in WOC’s Conservation Leadership Institute. It was in this class that I hoped to gain a better perspective, as a new resident, of Wyoming’s conservation landscape and to develop a better sense of what drives policy decisions. This is important to me because I see the impact of Wyoming conservation policies in my work at NOLS.

WOC intern Jason Hill

As a legislative intern, I learned how civic engagement can occur beyond the scope of voting, volunteering, or other direct service efforts that many of our nonprofits engage in.

During my internship week, Kristen and I pulled senators off the floor and asked them to vote against SF 148, Federal facilities seizure, a bill we opposed because it would supposedly allow the state to seize control of important public lands and resources like Yellowstone National Park. After speaking with a couple of senators together with Kristen, she turned me loose to lobby a few lawmakers on my own. That experience, as well as later testifying in a committee meeting, made me feel the most like a real lobbyist.

This experience allowed me to explore policy in the context of the legislative session, which is grounded in recognizing that policy work also happens outside of session. Working with stakeholders, building relationships, and creating an environment where policy can be given meaningful consideration occurs year-round, every year. It’s long-term work. It’s the work that calls for us, too, as citizens, to help shape our communities.

Rhiannon Jakopak

When I followed the legislature in previous years, I found it overwhelming and confusing. I frequently found myself wondering what opaque acronyms meant (“CoW,” anyone? That’s “committee of the whole” — i.e. the entire body of the House or Senate) or wondering whether I had the most up-to-date version of a bill. Before my WOC internship, I certainly did not feel confident in my ability to participate in the legislative process.

WOC intern Rhiannon Jakopak hard at work in the field.

As a scientist, I want to be able to independently draw my own conclusions, and as a citizen, I want to be informed and involved in legislative processes. After completing the legislative internship with the Wyoming Outdoor Council, I feel empowered to engage in policy work because I have a dramatically improved understanding of how the legislature works. During the brief time that I followed Kristen and Steff around the Capitol, I observed how bills were shaped by careful discussions regarding fine minutiae of language and legal considerations.

I also had the opportunity to testify in a committee meeting on SF 87, a bill that could have improved instream flows for fisheries. It was there that I learned how receptive legislators can be when people show up to voice their concerns. When I stood up to provide testimony, I was nervous that the room would be hostile and uninviting. However, both legislators and members of the audience were attentive and listened as I — someone who was clearly not a “policy person” — spoke, even though it was the final committee meeting of the day and was well after 5 p.m. When the committee adjourned, a few folks came up to me and offered encouragement and congratulated me on speaking.

I am encouraged by the experience, and better prepared to take part in policy work, both as a scientist and as a citizen. I’m using the lessons I learned, and I happily share my newfound knowledge regarding the legislative process with others.

Interested in joining WOC for a week at the 2020 legislative session? Learn more on our  “careers” page!

Dalton Sees Outdoor Council Internship as Springboard to Conservation Advocacy

Posted on by Dustin Bleizeffer

The Outdoor Council is proud to introduce Eric Dalton as one of three citizen lobbyists taking part in our legislative mini-internship program. He joined Outdoor Council lobbyists Stephanie Kessler and Mary Flanderka during the first week of the 2018 Wyoming Legislature’s winter session.

“It’s nice to see tons of high school kids trickling through the legislature, and I feel like one of them — only a little more senior.”

Eric, 50, lives in Cheyenne where he is the data supervisor at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. It’s his second stint as a Wyoming resident after first arriving in the 1990s. Since returning in 2014, Eric has been active in several local U.S. Forest Service planning decisions, and consistently engages in Cheyenne City Council matters, such as water development on Belvoir Ranch.

He grew up on the East Coast, the son of a career U.S. service member, and had access to large swaths of military properties where he could “piddle” around outdoors, and developed a love for nature. He served in the Air Force for 24 years, has lived on five continents, and says he has seen the effects of climate change firsthand. In his international travels he was struck that many places in the world don’t have a public lands concept as we do in the United States.

“I first moved to the Rockies sight unseen, and I was enamored,” Eric said. “Out east all the land is private, and [in the Rockies] I thought, ‘What a concept. You can go out and camp any ol’  place you want to on a national forest.’ You have to know somebody who owns land to go hunting out east.”

Eric considers conservation his second or third profession. He belongs to several conservation groups in the Rockies. “The great outdoors of Wyoming are unparalleled,” he said.

His experience as an Outdoor Council legislative intern has reinforced his sense that Wyoming is one small town with very long streets. “Wyoming is hyper-democratic because you can still talk to your representative or senator, and you can actually give input . . . There’s so much opportunity to weigh in.”

Eric said the Outdoor Council internship will energize him to be even more involved in civic matters. He said he wants to demonstrate that Americans don’t have to be put off by politics. “They can have impact,” he said.

This is the Outdoor Council’s first year hosting the citizen lobbyist mini-internship program. The goal is to offer a full spectrum of lobbyist training, and to empower participants to return to their communities as engaged and effective conservation advocates. Also joining our 2018 internship program are Era Aranow and Robert Joyce.

 

Announcing Our Citizen Lobbyist Internships!

Posted on by Steff Kessler

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The Wyoming Outdoor Council’s power comes from informed and engaged citizens. This is especially true during the state legislative session—when key policy decisions about our public lands, wildlife, and environmental quality are made.

As part of our effort to increase civic engagement in Wyoming, we are excited to launch our Citizen Lobbyist Internship Program for the upcoming 2018 legislative budget session in Cheyenne. We believe a deeper familiarization with our state’s “citizen legislature” will empower members to be better advocates—and to engage others in their own communities.

From February 12 to March 2, we’ll offer three individual, weeklong mini-internships (during the first three weeks of the session). Due to the nature of the legislative agenda, these internships will be fast-paced and hands-on! Participants will leave with a comprehensive understanding of the Wyoming Legislature and how to be an effective citizen lobbyist.

We’ve developed a dynamic, in-depth curriculum that includes:

  • The basics: how a bill becomes law, orientation to the Capitol
  • Hands-on training in lobbying and communicating with legislators
  • Researching actual legislation filed—including possible meetings with government agency staff and creating fact sheets
  • Attending committee hearings and monitoring floor debates
  • Participating in strategy meetings with other lobbyists and interest groups
  • Opportunities to testify before committees and/or lobby legislators directly about upcoming bills

Outdoor Council lobbyists will provide the majority of this training, often through on-the-go learning related to WOC’s own work. Each internship will vary based on the pace and schedule of the 2018 Budget Session.

Interns will need to arrive in Cheyenne by Sunday night and can expect to finish by Friday afternoon. If necessary, stipends or support to cover lodging will be available.

Please click the link below if you are interested and I’ll send a more detailed description!

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Many Citizens, One Voice: Why Members Matter

Posted on by Amy Rathke

Ask any Wyoming Outdoor Council staffer and they’ll tell you: Protecting what’s best about Wyoming is a team effort.

From removing illegal fencing that harms wildlife, to securing laws that better protect drinking water and air quality, to convincing decision-makers that some landscapes are simply too special to develop, each of the hard-won successes the Outdoor Council has enjoyed since 1967 has come only because members, citizens, and partners came together to stand up for the places and values they love.

Longtime staffer Steff Kessler recalls two such successes—and the hard work of everyone involved.

1992: “We didn’t want our state to turn into a dumping ground.”

In the early 1990s, developers were eyeing Wyoming as the next best place to build in-ground facilities to house low-level radioactive waste.

“[The Wyoming Outdoor Council] learned about this proposal at the last minute, during the first day of a 20-day budget legislative session,” Steff recalled. “We only had four weeks to understand this waste stream, its severity, and what it would include.”

As Outdoor Council staffers scrambled to learn more about the proposal, it became clear that to protect the state and the health of its people, we and everyone involved needed to better understand the regulatory process itself. Given the potential risks, though, along with the state’s lack of experience regulating radioactive waste, staff decided to act quickly to prevent the proposal from being fast-tracked through the Legislature without proper permitting or environmental preparation, study, or review. The best course of action: establish a moratorium.

In order to do that, however, the Outdoor Council needed to generate a groundswell of public support.

But how?

The first step, back in the days before the internet, was to activate the membership “phone tree.” The phone tree—which included hundreds of citizens—spurred momentum, as members began calling more and more people across the state to spread the word. But what really got things rolling was a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of the Casper Star-Tribune.

“The ad was basically a call to arms, asking people to call or fax their state senators, and call or fax the governor’s office, and oppose the bill,” Steff said.

The day after the ad ran, the bill came up for a vote in the Wyoming State Senate. Steff recalls that as she waited in the gallery with a few other folks to hear news of the bill’s fate, she and her companions were summoned unexpectedly to the office of then-Governor Mike Sullivan.

There, they were told that the volume of faxes and phone calls coming in to oppose the bill had “broken” both the fax machine and the direct line to Governor Sullivan’s office.

“It was a great example of working with our members and allies, and reaching out to the public to give them the info to chime in,” Steff said. “The general public did not want our state turned into a dumping ground. We knew Wyoming people did not want this here.”

As a result of the tireless efforts of the Outdoor Council, its members, conservation allies, and citizens, the moratorium on low-level radioactive waste storage was added to the Wyoming Environmental Quality Act in 1992. To this day, it requires any applicants for commercial radioactive waste management facility permits to pay a nonrefundable $100,000 fee and to submit a notice of intent to file at least 10 months prior to submission—effectively keeping such projects from being fast-tracked.

 

2016: “Your favorite place to hike or fish could someday belong to a person who fences it off, and you’d never get to go there again.”

Fast-forward two decades to 2013, when the Wyoming State Legislature began to rumble with plans for legislation to allow the transfer of ownership of federal lands in Wyoming to the state.

The main concern with transferring federal ownership to the state is the risk that these public lands could be privatized—essentially auctioned off to the highest bidder.

“That basically means that your favorite place to hike or fish could belong to a person who fences it off, and you’d never get to go there again,” Steff explained.

Not a great outcome for a state like Wyoming, where nearly half of our land is public, and where tourism and outdoor recreation comprise the second-largest and fastest-growing economic sector.

For three years straight, lawmakers tried to push some variety of land-grab bill through the Wyoming State Legislature. The Outdoor Council found itself constantly beating back those efforts. Then, in 2016, groups from throughout Wyoming and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes began to take a concerted, organized stand against these efforts.

“We felt that this was an attack on public lands, public access, and all kinds of conservation values like water quality and wildlife habitat,” Steff said. “We also knew that, throughout the West, there is a growing movement to take public lands away from the public and develop them more for special interests.”

In November of 2016, 400 people showed up to a public lands rally in Casper as part of Keep it Public, Wyoming—a diverse statewide coalition of nonprofit organizations, businesses, and groups who collectively support the idea of keeping federal public lands in Wyoming in public hands.

The timing couldn’t have been better: the following week, a legislative committee was slated to consider another land-grab bill—this one, an attempt to amend Wyoming’s constitution to pave the way for state takeover of federal public lands.

Energized by the Casper rally, 100 Wyomingites showed up to the meeting in Riverton to oppose this draft constitutional amendment. When legislators turned a deaf ear to the citizens and instead opted to discuss the amendment at a later date, Keep it Public, Wyoming leaders encouraged its members and supporters to testify at the capitol. But again, when they showed up in Cheyenne, 150 strong, lawmakers told them the committee would not hear public comment on the amendment itself.

The result? Well, you can see for yourself:

By the time the 2017 legislative session began, the public had expressed so much opposition for the bill that the senate president killed it himself.

“This is a great example of the Wyoming Outdoor Council understanding the politics of the state, and of our ability to be nimble,” Steff said. “We really wanted to bring people together with common values, based on our love for public lands and the access and quality of life they provide for Wyoming citizens. As a result of that, we have a huge, diverse group. That group really sent a message to the Legislature, loud and clear.”

The Keep It Public, Wyoming coalition is going strong and has become a powerful voice for keeping public lands in public hands. This fall, they’ve held three successful rallies across the state—in Laramie, Jackson, and Sheridan—to keep citizens engaged and informed about public lands and the threats they face in Wyoming.

If you are not a part of the Wyoming Outdoor Council but you love Wyoming’s public lands, value its clean air and clean water, and choose to live here because of the quality of life these things afford, we’d love for you to join us. Our success and the protection of Wyoming’s future comes from the strength in our numbers.

Click here to join, or continue your involvement with, the Wyoming Outdoor Council. With your support, there’s no limit to the ways we can work together and protect this wild, one-of-a-kind place we all love.

The Legislature is Coming to Fremont County

Posted on by Steff Kessler

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The Wyoming State Legislature is continuing their important interim committee meetings on wildlife, recreation, public lands, and energy topics throughout the state, with their first stop in Fremont County on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29–30. This is a great opportunity to directly engage with lawmakers as they develop draft legislation.

Over the course of two days in Lander, the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Affairs committee will cover the cover the following topics:

  • prohibiting the sale of GIS wildlife locational data for hunting
  • special antelope hunts (such as Lander’s One Shot and a similar woman’s hunt)
  • confidentiality of sensitive wildlife information and data
  • other wildlife topics
  • a report from the Bicycle and Pedestrian System Task Force
  • Wyoming State Parks
  • a report from the Governor’s Outdoor Recreation Task Force

​The hunting and wildlife topics are scheduled for Tuesday morning, and the others are scheduled for Wednesday morning.

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— Tuesday, August 29 and Wednesday, August 30 —
Both meetings will start at 8 a.m. each morning
Inn at Lander
260 Grandview Drive
Lander, WY 82520

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There is opportunity for public comment at the end of each topic, or, you can just come and observe. We urge you to attend, chime in when you want, and support the recommendations of the Governor’s Outdoor Recreation Task Force. (Gary Wilmot, our executive director, has been co-chair of that group.)

This is your government and we encourage you to be involved! You can find agendas for the meetings as well as background materials and draft bills below.

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Outdoor Council staff will be in attendance to testify on several of these topics, and we are hosting an informal information session prior to this meeting (details below). Feel free to stop by and join us for a cup of coffee, hear more about the meeting, and ask questions—we’re happy to fill you in!

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— Tuesday, August 29 at 7 a.m.—
Informal coffee with the Outdoor Council
Summit Restaurant
Inn at Lander
260 Grandview Drive Lander, WY 82520

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