Editorial board: Opposition to land deal seems misplaced | Editorial

While the area, which is also prized by hunters and other outdoor recreationists, is a short drive from town, accessing public lands can be difficult because of the patchwork of private property. That reality appeared to get easier when the Bureau of Land Management announced recently that it was purchasing nearly 36,000 acres of private land that borders the North Platte southwest of Casper. It represents the largest such transaction in the state’s history. It will create a 118-square-mile block of contiguous public land that connects 40,000 acres of what had been unreachable state and federal lands.

Put simply, the agency’s purchase of nearly all of the Marton Ranch will make accessing public lands easier along the North Platte. That’s something to celebrate if you like to hunt, fish or just enjoy the outdoors in Natrona County. And even if you don’t, there’s still room to be excited about the economic boost the added public land might mean in the form of additional tourism for the area.

But Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and our congressional delegation aren’t celebrating.

Gordon earlier this month announced he would be appealing the purchase. He cited the lack of transparency, arguing the bureau did not involve the public in the acquisition process or consider the sale’s impact on tax revenues, school funding, mineral development and more. The governor was quick to stress that he supports public access for outdoor recreationists and the right of landowners to sell their property how they see fit. But, he argued, the process matters. There should be public scrutiny when the federal government increases its land holdings here. A statement by the delegation released Thursday made similar arguments.

But a closer inspection of the notice of appeal filed by the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office hints at the weakness of the governor’s argument. It gripes about the lack of state consultation ahead of the sale, but included little in the way of a legal argument to back up those concerns. The notice stated the disregard for the public process violated the “spirit if not the letter of the law.” If your legal argument centers on the spirit of the law, how strong can it be?

Meanwhile, the delegation’s statement expressed concern that the amount of federally controlled government land will increase after the sale. Fair enough. But beyond the ideological argument, so what? If there is one thing that unites Wyomingites, it is our shared love — regardless of political persuasion — of public lands. And here is a swath of soon-to-be-public land that will allow more people to access the best of what Wyoming has to offer.

Moreover, the owners of the ranch have every right to sell their land how they want. That’s a basic Wyoming idea. The ranch was on the market for several years, and apparently a private buyer never surfaced. Were the owners supposed to sit around and wait forever? Should they have sold to someone who would have chopped up the property into trophy home parcels?

The governor’s notice only summarizes his objections to the purchase. Next month, he’ll have to make his case. But an observer can’t help but read over the notice and wonder whether this is a matter worth fighting. It’s also worth asking: What’s his end game? Does he want the deal eliminated? A statement from the BLM that it will be more communicative next time?

Gordon and our delegation say they are advocating for the public. But this action doesn’t seem like it. Rather, it feels like an attempt to raise an objection over what appear to be minor concerns to a land deal that will benefit hunters, anglers and others in central Wyoming. Of all the issues facing the state right now, is this really the battle that needs to be fought? Should there be less access to the North Platte? Should fewer people enjoy our public lands? It seems like our leaders’ attention could be better spent elsewhere.