Wyoming’s Future Economy Will Need Protected Landscapes
NOLS President John Gans speaks up in support of protecting Wyoming’s public lands from development, pointing out that Wilderness Study Areas have lasting economic relevance as well as value for local communities. These wilderness lands attract visitors with active lifestyles, contributing to Wyoming’s burgeoning outdoor recreation industry and boosting local economies.
“Over the last few months, citizens across the state have been hotly debating the future of Wyoming’s Wilderness Study Areas. These landscapes are intact, untrammeled, typically arid, have unique natural features and are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service to preserve their primitive qualities until the U.S. Congress decides their fate. On the surface, the debate over these areas is about wilderness, mining and other uses for these lands. But at a deeper level the conversations are less about land management and more about the visions stakeholders have for Wyoming’s economic future.”
Topics: News, wilderness study area
