PUBLIC LANDS: I am against this on a broad scale. However I do think the federal lands in Wyoming have been mismanaged by the federal government.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I am against privatizing wildlife. And I don’t think it’s the governments job to tell productive ranch land what they can and can’t do even if they are supporting wildlife populations.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes. Sage grouse has already been politicize and see where that got us.

OTHER INFORMATION: I have been hunting and fishing public land for over 2 decade’s in Wyoming. I will do my best to protect public access and wildlife management so I can continue to take my children hunting and finishing.

PUBLIC LANDS: I strongly oppose the broad sale, disposal, or transfer of federal public lands to the state. Public lands are the backbone of Wyoming’s economy, culture, and outdoor heritage. Transferring these lands poses a severe risk of eventual privatization or industrial over-development due to the immense costs the state would face to manage them, including wildfire suppression. I firmly advocate for keeping public lands in public hands. However, I fully support collaborative, common-sense management frameworks that prioritize robust local input and look for opportunities to increase public access for hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I completely oppose any efforts to privatize Wyoming’s wildlife, including the implementation of transferable landowner tags. Wildlife belongs to all people of Wyoming and must be held in trust for the public, not converted into a commodity for personal profit. At the same time, I recognize that our ranchers and agricultural producers provide critical, intact habitat for our wildlife. To support these stewards, we should expand voluntary conservation easements, improve and adequately fund depredation compensation programs, and incentivize wildlife-friendly agricultural practices—ensuring working ranches remain viable without compromising our shared sporting heritage.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: As a University of Wyoming graduate with degrees in Animal Science and Zoology, this issue is deeply personal to me. Having personally participated in field work and wildlife research, I have first-hand experience with the immense rigor, dedication, and expertise required to understand population dynamics and shape sound policy recommendations. I firmly believe that scientific management is the proper means for wildlife conservation. When legislative bodies attempt to micro-manage wildlife populations based on political trends rather than biological data, it jeopardizes the health of our ecosystems and undermines the public trust. Our wildlife is best served when decisions are guided strictly by rigorous field science, professional expertise, and the principles of the North American Model.

OTHER INFORMATION: As a candidate for House District 11, my dedication to public lands is inseparable from my deep commitment to animal welfare and ethical stewardship. While public lands discussions often focus heavily on acreage, mineral rights, and multi-use access, wildlife is an indispensable—and sometimes overlooked—asset in that equation. True stewardship means recognizing that public lands are living ecosystems, and our wildlife must be fully included in every conversation we have about protection, legacy, and access.

To safeguard our state's incredible outdoor legacy, my platform centers on:

Upholding Fair Chase and Ethical Harvesting: I firmly believe that hunting and fishing are privileges rooted in deep respect for the animal. I will advocate for policies that enforce rigorous principles of fair chase and ethical harvesting, ensuring our sporting traditions remain honorable and respect the welfare of the resource.

Elevating Wildlife in Land Management: Wildlife cannot be an afterthought. I will work to ensure that migration corridors, crucial winter ranges, and habitat health are top-tier priorities in state land planning, balancing development with the needs of our native species.

Securing Democratic and Equal Access: In line with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, I will fight to ensure that wildlife remains a public trust asset, accessible equally to everyday Wyoming citizens, rather than a commodity reserved for the highest bidder.

Our wildlife and our public lands are intertwined. I look forward to bringing a scientifically informed, ethically grounded voice to the Wyoming Legislature to protect both for generations to come.

PUBLIC LANDS: I am opposed.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose transferable landowner tags. I support bringing stakeholders to the table to generate ideas to invest and incentivize in good land stewardship.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes

OTHER INFORMATION: Our public lands is part of Wyoming's culture. An attack on the land is attack on all of us.

PUBLIC LANDS: Never

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: oppose

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: absolutely

OTHER INFORMATION: I'm a member of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, and I really need be careful not to let my personal beliefs be in any way associated with the commission, these are my personal beliefs and can be verified with my voting record as a commissioner. I will protect our wildlife/land and hunting heritage but cannot receive any compensation or endorsements doing so. thank you and keep up the good work! when my term as commissioner ends this year, and if elected I look forward to working with you

PUBLIC LANDS: Public Lands need to remain publicly owned and managed.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Oppose. As to ranchlands inheritance: if such land remains productive, the taxes on transfer should be minimized.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I would oppose such efforts at politicalization of management.

OTHER INFORMATION: Public access into state lands must remain open. Hunting, fishing and hiking/camping is a lifeblood of Wyoming. It must remain so

PUBLIC LANDS: I am opposed to the sale or transfer of federal public land

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I am 100% opposed to transferable landowner tags. We need to continue to educate landowners so they can use the available resources to support the critical habitat they provide for Wyomings wildlife. I continue to speak to ranchers and farmers across the state and encourage them to consider hiring a licensed outfitter to manage wildlife on their private property as a better solution than transferable tags.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes

OTHER INFORMATION: It is critical that Wyomings sporting community continues to show up in Cheyenne and educate legislators about important issues across the state. My colleagues, for the most part, do not actively participate in activities on public land or public waterways so they are uninformed or misinformed about how important public land and waterways are to our Wyoming way of life.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the broad sale or transfer of federal public lands. Wyoming’s public lands support our economy, traditions, and way of life, and they should remain public.

That said, I am not opposed to every land exchange or transfer. Each case should be examined on its own merits, with local input, clear public benefit, and improved access as guiding principles.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose efforts to privatize Wyoming’s wildlife, including transferable landowner tags. Wildlife belongs to the people of Wyoming, and that principle should be protected.

Farmers and ranchers play a critical role in maintaining open space, habitat, water, migration corridors, and working landscapes. We should support them through (voluntary) incentive-based programs, habitat partnerships, access agreements, tools for conservation, and fair compensation when wildlife creates costs they would otherwise not incur.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Wildlife management should be guided by sound science, professional biologists, and the Game and Fish Commission, it should never become a political football. The Legislature has a role in oversight and funding. Day-to-day wildlife decisions should be guided by the North American model and focused on the long-term health of Wyoming’s wildlife.

OTHER INFORMATION: Wyoming’s way of life depends on public access, healthy wildlife populations, responsible land stewardship, and respect for private property. I believe public lands should remain public, and management decisions should be guided by science and long-term conservation.

The best solutions are usually practical, and local; developed by a shared respect for land, wildlife, and Wyoming's way of life.

PUBLIC LANDS: Public lands are core to who we are in Wyoming — and in Park County, that's not an abstraction. It's how we hunt, fish, recreate, and it's a foundation of our tourism and agriculture economies.
I oppose the broad sale or transfer of federal public lands to the state. Wyoming doesn't have the resources to manage that scale of land without risking exactly the kind of disposal our public lands advocates are worried about, and once that land is gone, it's gone for good.
That said, I don't think "hands off, no exceptions" is realistic or even the right approach. What I support is targeted, common-sense land transactions — resolving landlocked parcels so hunters and anglers actually have legal access to land they already own, and exchanges that make sense locally because they consolidate management, improve access, or create a real economic benefit for the community, not a narrow interest. Any of that has to happen with local input at the table, not decided from Cheyenne or Washington over the heads of the people who actually use this ground.
The test I'd apply to any land transaction is simple: does it expand access and benefit the broader public, or does it just move land into fewer hands? If it's the former, I'm open to it. If it's the latter, count me out.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Wyoming's wildlife belongs to all of us — it's held in trust by the state for the people of Wyoming, not owned by whoever's land it happens to wander onto. I oppose transferable landowner tags and any move toward privatizing our wildlife.
The current landowner tag system works reasonably well as it stands. Making those tags transferable would cross a line — it turns a public trust resource into something bought and sold for private profit, and that's a fundamentally different thing than what we have now. Once you create a commercial market in tags, you've changed the relationship between wildlife and the public forever, and I don't think that's a road Wyoming should go down.
Ranchers provide real, valuable habitat, and that matters. But they don't provide all of the habitat our wildlife depends on — public land, migration corridors, and winter range all play a role too. Managing this resource, and protecting it for future generations, is the state's responsibility through Wyoming Game and Fish, not something that should be delegated to individual landowners through a commercial tag system.
That doesn't mean we ignore ranchers' role. There are better ways to support the stewards of working lands without privatizing wildlife:
• Habitat and depredation programs — properly funding Game and Fish's existing habitat improvement and damage/depredation compensation programs so ranchers aren't bearing the cost of hosting wildlife alone.
• Conservation easements — voluntary, incentive-based tools that keep working ranches intact and keep habitat connected, without transferring ownership of the wildlife itself.
• Access partnerships — expanding programs like Walk-In Areas and Hunter Management Areas, which reward landowners for allowing public access rather than restricting it.
• Migration corridor protections — working with ranchers, not against them, to keep corridors open since fragmented habitat hurts both wildlife and grazing operations.
The goal is to make stewardship pay off for ranchers through partnership and fair compensation — not by turning our wildlife into a commodity.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes. I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and I'll oppose efforts to move wildlife management decisions out of the hands of professional biologists and the Game and Fish Commission and into the Legislature.
Scientific management is one of the core principles of the Model for a reason — decisions about seasons, quotas, and population management need to be driven by biology and data, not politics or the legislative calendar. Legislators aren't wildlife biologists, and we shouldn't be substituting our judgment for theirs on the science. That's consistent with what I laid out on the previous question: wildlife is a public trust resource, and protecting that trust means keeping management decisions with the professionals who are accountable to sound science, not shifting them to political pressure.

OTHER INFORMATION: Wyoming's sporting heritage — hunting, fishing, and the public lands and wildlife that make it possible — isn't just recreation, it's part of who we are. I'll always support keeping our public lands public, keeping wildlife management in the hands of scientists rather than politicians, and making sure decisions affecting our outdoor way of life are made with local voices at the table.

PUBLIC LANDS: I think managing close to home is better than farther away. The people of Wyoming should have a say in how the lands within our borders are managed. The fear seems to be a reallocation of use for said lands. I am in favor of recreational lands continuing to be recreational lands, by and large. I don’t see why they have to be in federal hands to do so. Of more interest to me would be lands that pertain to industry. For Wyoming to have the power of permitting mineral and grazing rights to her people would facilitate greater growth.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I think wildlife management is the role of the state, and that to have transferable landowner tags for profit would infringe on that regulatory duty.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: It is the pleasure of the legislature to enact laws establishing guidelines with which the game and fish derives any authority whatsoever. It is important to understand who obtains authority from where, and the limitations thereof. If the legislature wants to meddle, they have the authority to do so, be it to the benefit or detriment of wildlife. This is why the legislature is beholden to the people. They can delegate their authority to game and fish, who we hope will manage appropriately their charge, but something delegated can also be withdrawn.

OTHER INFORMATION: Nothing at this time

PUBLIC LANDS: Keep public lands in public hands. No sale of public lands. It's the people's land to enjoy!

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Give them an inch, and they'll take a mile. No privation of land or animals. We need to protect our wildlife. The public & rancher need to be aware & involved with
conservation. We also need to discuss WATER.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Until they all get degrees in Wildlife Biology, Ecology, land management, etc., the answer is a big NO!

OTHER INFORMATION: They. need all the public lands we have so they can hunt, fish, hike, camp, and enjoy the outdoors.

PUBLIC LANDS: I am absolutely against broad sale of ,or transfer to the state of any federal public land.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I am a landowner and rancher who has participated in hunter management areas for many years. I have also helped implement conservation practices such as wildlife friendly fencing, keeping wildlife migration routes open. I do not support transferable landowner tags.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I will support the North American model. I believe in following the science when the decision s are made by the legislature.

OTHER INFORMATION: I believe the highest priority of wildlife management should come from the Wyoming Game and Fish. I feel the they do a great job of listening to the landowners and sportsmen of the state.

PUBLIC LANDS: I am against the sale, transfer, or restriction of access to public lands.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose privatizing wild life. Out of State tags should be used to help get access to private lands with restrictions while also paying the land owners competitive rates for the access.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I believe our Fish and Game should be based on science. With that said, Fish and Game also needs to understand it's quality experiences for hunting and fishing that funds the Commission.

OTHER INFORMATION: Access and opportunity for our sportsmen and sportswomen is why we live in the West. I grew up using public lands, and will continue to fight for keeping it public. I will also fight to make sure Fish and Game treats all people in Wyoming equal, land owner and public hunter.

PUBLIC LANDS: Wyoming's public lands are part of our heritage and our way of life. They support hunting, fishing, ranching, recreation, tourism, and many of the traditions that make our state unique. I do not support the broad sale or wholesale transfer of federal public lands to the state. Such a transfer would place significant financial and management burdens on Wyoming taxpayers while creating uncertainty about long-term public access.

I do support common-sense management that gives local communities, landowners, sportsmen, and counties a meaningful voice in federal land management decisions. Where targeted land exchanges improve public access, resolve management issues, or benefit Wyoming communities, they should be considered on their individual merits.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Wyoming's wildlife belongs to all Wyomingites. I oppose efforts to privatize wildlife through transferable landowner tags or similar proposals that treat wildlife as a private commodity rather than a public trust resource.

At the same time, Wyoming ranchers are among the state's greatest conservation partners. Many provide critical habitat, migration corridors, and open space that sustain healthy wildlife populations. We should continue supporting voluntary conservation partnerships, habitat improvement projects, fence modifications that improve wildlife movement, and incentive programs that recognize the stewardship provided by working ranches.

Protecting wildlife and supporting agriculture are complementary goals, not competing ones.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes.

Wildlife management decisions should be based on sound science, professional expertise, and transparent public input. Wyoming Game and Fish biologists and the Game and Fish Commission are charged with managing our wildlife resources using the best available science while balancing the interests of hunters, anglers, landowners, outfitters, and the public.

The Legislature has an important role in setting policy and providing oversight, but day-to-day wildlife management should remain grounded in science rather than politics. I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation because it has made Wyoming's wildlife management one of the most respected systems in the world.

OTHER INFORMATION: Growing up in the West and raising my family in Wyoming has taught me that our public lands, abundant wildlife, and outdoor traditions are part of who we are. Whether someone hunts, fishes, hikes, camps, or simply enjoys Wyoming's open spaces, these resources deserve thoughtful stewardship so future generations can experience them as we have.

As your representative, I will work to protect public access, support responsible multiple-use management, respect private property rights, and ensure that decisions affecting our wildlife are based on science and local knowledge rather than political ideology. I believe we achieve the best outcomes when sportsmen, ranchers, landowners, local communities, and state agencies work together to solve problems.

Wyoming succeeds when we focus on practical solutions that preserve both our outdoor heritage and the livelihoods that depend on it.

PUBLIC LANDS: I am opposed to the sale of public lands. I am however interested in exploring the transfer of federal public lands to the state for ownership or at least management. The recent Rock Springs Resource Management Plan made it clear to me that Wyomingites cannot depend on the people of New York, California, or Oregon to determine the use of our public lands. If we do, millions of acres will be off limits to humans and we will all lose if that happens.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I am opposed to the privatization of wildlife. This is how Europe has become a place where only the elites can hunt. I do want landowners compensated for damage or their good habitat practices.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I support the North American model for wildlife conservation.

OTHER INFORMATION:

PUBLIC LANDS: I do not support the broad sale or wholesale transfer of federal public lands. Wyoming’s public lands are a cornerstone of our hunting, fishing, recreation, and outdoor heritage. Protecting public access for future generations must remain a priority.

I do support giving Wyoming a stronger voice in how these lands are managed. Decisions should reflect the needs of our communities, sportsmen, landowners, and wildlife. Responsible forest management, habitat improvement, wildfire mitigation, and appropriate multiple use are all important.

I am open to targeted land exchanges or transfers when they improve public access, resolve management issues, or clearly benefit Wyoming citizens, but those decisions should be made on a transparent, case-by-case basis, not through broad or wholesale transfers.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose the privatization of Wyoming’s wildlife through transferable landowner tags or similar programs. Wildlife is a public resource held in trust for all citizens, and that principle should remain unchanged.

Our ranchers, however, are vital partners in conservation. Working ranches provide critical habitat, migration corridors, and winter range that sustain healthy wildlife populations. We should support landowners through voluntary, incentive-based programs that improve habitat, fairly address wildlife damage and depredation, and expand public access where landowners choose to participate.

The best conservation occurs when sportsmen, landowners, and state agencies work together. We can protect Wyoming’s wildlife while ensuring our ranching families remain strong stewards of the land for generations to come.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and believe wildlife management decisions should be guided by sound science. The Legislature’s role is to establish state law, provide oversight, and work with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Commission; not to replace the expertise of professional wildlife biologists.

I believe laws should be developed with input from the agency, sportsmen, landowners, and other stakeholders. Once those laws are in place, the Game and Fish Department should have the flexibility to adopt and adjust regulations based on the best available science and changing wildlife conditions.

Good policy comes from legislators working with experts, while day-to-day wildlife management should remain in the hands of those trained to make those decisions.

OTHER INFORMATION: I am a lifelong outdoorsman, and Wyoming’s hunting and fishing traditions are one of the main reasons I chose to make this state my home more than 30 years ago. I enjoy archery and rifle hunting, upland bird hunting, and fishing for walleye and fly fish trout. I have been fortunate to draw and be successful with both a moose tag, which I hunted with a bow, and a bighorn sheep tag—experiences I will never forget.

Every year I look forward to hunting antelope and elk, packing in to spend time outdoors with family and friends. I understand the importance of protecting Wyoming’s wildlife, preserving public access, and maintaining healthy habitats because I have experienced these opportunities firsthand. As your legislator, I will continue working to ensure future generations can enjoy the same hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions that have meant so much to me and my family.

PUBLIC LANDS: I do not support the purchase or management of our lands by International interests or NGO's.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: How does your organization support ranchers and how they can financially gain from auctioning licenses as non profits and NGO's do?

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: North American conservation doesn't sound like local control or multiple use?

OTHER INFORMATION: A survey doesn't allow for conversation so I have attempted to supply realistic answers. Thank you.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the sale of Wyoming’s public lands, full stop. I support giving the state a stronger management role over federal lands within our borders — better wildfire response, multiple-use decisions made by people who actually live here — but only where public access for hunting, fishing, and recreation is legally guaranteed, not weakened. Any transfer proposal that doesn’t lock in permanent public access is a non-starter for me.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Wyoming’s wildlife belongs to the public — that’s the law and it should stay the law. I oppose transferable landowner tags or any scheme that turns public wildlife into a private commodity. Ranchers carry real costs from wildlife on their land, and the answer is compensating that cost directly, not privatizing the resource.

Expand Game & Fish depredation/damage compensation — faster claims processing, higher caps, fencing/haystack damage included, funded so it’s not competing against habitat dollars; Wildlife-friendly fencing cost-share — state matches ranchers who convert to wildlife-permeable fencing; and, Expand Access Yes! — more state money to lease public hunting/fishing access on private land; pay ranchers directly without touching tag ownership.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes. I will oppose any effort to politicize wildlife management and will uphold the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation — wildlife held in public trust, managed on sound science by professionals, not doled out as a political or commercial commodity. That’s the same principle behind my opposition to transferable landowner tags: once you let politics or profit override science and public trust, you’ve broken the model.

OTHER INFORMATION: Wyoming’s lakes and rivers are too valuable to risk on a policy of hoping boats coming in from out of state are clean. I support expanding mandatory watercraft check stations — more locations, longer seasonal hours, and requiring inspection for all trailered boats entering Wyoming waters, not just those flagged as high-risk. Once zebra or quagga mussels get into a reservoir, there’s no undoing it — it changes the fishery permanently and costs the state far more down the road than prevention does now. This is a place where funding the Game and Fish Department properly isn’t optional.

PUBLIC LANDS: The wholesale exchange or sale of public lands is a horrible idea. Consideration of selected transfers with local stakeholder involvement should not be taken off the table. An exchange might actually be beneficial in terms of access or habitat improvements. Each should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: This is a complex topic but no I don't want to see wildlife privatized. I do not claim any great expertise in this area. I do know that we have a growing problem with herd size and large tracts of private land with little or no unguided hunter access for residents. Some sort of incentive plan where a landowner might get some additional landowner tags next year in exchange for greater resident hunter access this year may have some merit. This is complex because different species and different hunt areas have distinct challenges. The idea that landowners can gobble up all of the tags for a particular hunt area is a problem. If we don't find a solution, starvation or disease probably will.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I think we have state agencies for a reason. They have the time, resources and data to make decisions. Generally, the legislature should be respectful of their work and role. That said, no agency is perfect and I have heard complaints from sportsmen over the years about how the Game and Fish has operated or made decisions in some cases. The legislature may, in some narrow circumstances, have a role to play. The department needs to maintain the confidence of the people of Wyoming.

OTHER INFORMATION: I think it is always best when stakeholders from varying positions work together to carve out solutions that work in the real world. A part-time citizen legislature can sometimes make things worse. When interest groups turn to the legislature to "solve" complex issues, they are rolling the dice. If landowners, outfitters, Game and Fish and sportsmen can resolve conflicts without involving the legislature, that is probably a preferable approach. At the very least, if these groups bring forth a proposed solution that needs a statutory change, that works way better than having the legislature hear all the arguments with no agreed upon solution being provided.

PUBLIC LANDS: My position is straightforward: I oppose the broad sale or transfer of federal public lands to the state. Public lands are a way of life here, they support recreation, hunting, fishing, agriculture, and industry across Wyoming, and once they're sold off or transferred wholesale, we lose control over how they're managed and access for future generations.
That said, I don't think "hands off" and "no changes ever" are the same thing. I support common-sense management that gives local voices a real seat at the table, and I'm open to targeted land transfers or exchanges when they genuinely increase public access, whether that's opening up landlocked parcels, improving trailheads, or resolving boundary issues that benefit the people who use this land. What I won't support is indiscriminate disposal or transfer that treats public land as a line item to balance a budget rather than a resource that belongs to all of us.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose transferable landowner tags and any effort to privatize Wyoming's wildlife. Wildlife in this state belongs to the people of Wyoming, held in trust, not to whoever owns the ground it happens to be standing on. Allowing tags to be bought and sold for private profit turns a public resource into a commodity for a few, and that's a line I won't cross.

Working ranches provide winter range, migration corridors, and open space that development would otherwise eliminate, and ranchers absorb real costs when wildlife damages fences, competes with livestock for forage, or spreads disease. So instead of privatizing wildlife to compensate landowners, I'd rather see the state invest directly in supporting ranchers as habitat stewards: expanding programs that compensate for verified wildlife damage, funding conservation easements that keep land in agriculture rather than getting subdivided, and improving cost-share programs for fencing, water development, and habitat projects that benefit both cattle and wildlife. Landowners who host wildlife should be recognized and supported for that role, without turning the wildlife itself into private property.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes. Wildlife management decisions should be made by professional biologists and the Game and Fish Commission, based on science and data, not by legislators making case-by-case calls driven by politics or a handful of vocal interests. I'll oppose efforts to shift that authority into the legislature's hands, because that's exactly the kind of politicization that erodes sound, long-term management.

I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and its core principle that wildlife is a public trust resource, managed for the benefit of all, not a small group. That means trusting the professionals whose job it is to study populations, habitat, and long-term sustainability, and giving them the independence to make those calls without political interference.

OTHER INFORMATION:

PUBLIC LANDS: Sale of public lands should only take place in very limited situations that benefit the public. I oppose the transfer of public lands to private interests except in those very limited situations. Additional I would consider limited transfers of federal lands to state management as local folks know better than Washington bureaucrats about Wyoming and our needs. God gifted us the land and protecting what he gave us should be a top priority.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I do not think transferable tags is a good idea. I do support "delisting" of some wild animals that have regenerated their populations. I support a balance between the needs of farmers and ranchers to protect their livestock from predators with the importance of the natural wildlife throughout Wyoming.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: While the elected representatives of the people should have input into decisions, giving the Game and Fish Commission the management responsibility is essential. There should be oversite as to this commissions functioning in the best interest of preserving our wildlife and our heritage. But not micromanaging their regulatory authority.

OTHER INFORMATION: Fishing, hunting and other recreational activity in Wyoming is part of what our state and our people are all about. If I have the honor of serving in the legislature, I am open to discussions with all citizens on the best way to preserve our heritage.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the indiscriminate sale or transfer of Wyoming's federal public land.

These lands belong to all of us, and we know, as Wyomingites, that the value of fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping cannot be tallied in dollars.

I support land management that brings local communities, tribes, sportsmen, ranchers, conservationists, and industry to the table. When targeted land exchanges or transfers benefit public access and resolve long-standing management issues they should be carefully considered on their merits.

I strongly oppose the sweeping efforts to sell or transfer public lands while supporting practical, collaborative solutions that protect public access and serve the people, all the people, of Wyoming.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose efforts to privatize Wyoming wildlife, including transferable tags.
Wildlife is a public resource, not something that can be bought and sold for private profit.

Wyoming's ranchers are important partners in wildlife conservation. Ranches provide open space, migration routes, and habitats that many species rely on. We should honor and support those contributions.

I would be interested in exploring conversations about expanding voluntary incentive programs for ranchers that could include habitat improvement projects, conservation easements that respect private property rights, assistance with fencing and water infrastructure. I think we should be exploring ways to partner with the ranchers who are some of the best stewards of the land.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I oppose efforts to politicize wildlife management. Period. I support keeping science and professional expertise at the forefront of handling decisions regarding conservation. I am not a biologist. I am not the expert, and I respect that there are people who know much more about these things than I do.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Game and fish Commission exist to make wildlife management decisions based on scientific findings, data, and long-term stewardship. They are experts, and while the legislature has a place in setting policy, that policy MUST be based in fact and in what is best for the land. Day to day wildlife management should remain in the hands of the highly qualified wildlife professionals.

OTHER INFORMATION: I have lived in Wyoming my whole life. While I am not an avid hunter, I am a fisherman. I have memories fishing with my dad in LaBonte Canyon when I was about 5 and am teaching my children how to fish now.
Living in Wyoming with our easy access to public land is a privilege, and we would be foolish to trade or sell our public lands. If we were to give them up, we would never get them back, and while they do have a high dollar value, the value they provide to our lives just by existing is truly indispensable.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the broad sale or wholesale transfer of federal public lands because they are an important part of Wyoming's heritage and economy. As a lifelong Wyomingite, hunter, and outdoorsman, I understand how important these lands are for recreation, hunting, fishing, grazing, energy development, tourism, and public access.

I support thoughtful, case-by-case land exchanges or transfers when they improve public access, resolve management challenges, or clearly benefit Wyoming communities. Likewise, there are times when Wyoming should pursue strategic land purchases if they expand public access, protect important habitat, or improve long-term management. These decisions should involve local stakeholders and be based on sound analysis rather than ideology. We have a responsibility to preserve our public lands and the opportunities they provide for future generations while managing them wisely today.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose efforts to privatize Wyoming's wildlife, including transferable landowner tags that treat wildlife as a private asset rather than a public resource. Wyoming's wildlife belongs to all of us and should continue to be managed in the public trust for current and future generations.

At the same time, our ranchers and landowners play a vital role in maintaining healthy wildlife habitat. We should recognize and support those efforts through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs, habitat improvement partnerships, and programs that reduce damage caused by wildlife. By working collaboratively with landowners, sportsmen, conservation organizations, and wildlife professionals, we can maintain productive ranches, healthy wildlife populations, and Wyoming's proud hunting heritage.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and believe Wyoming's wildlife should continue to be managed as a public resource using the best available science. Wildlife management decisions are best made by trained wildlife professionals and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, informed by sound science and public input rather than short-term political pressures.

The Legislature has an important role in establishing laws and policy, but I will oppose efforts to politicize routine wildlife management decisions that are better left to the professionals. By respecting science, listening to stakeholders, and maintaining public trust, we can protect Wyoming's wildlife and sporting heritage for generations to come.

OTHER INFORMATION: Growing up and raising my family in Wyoming has given me a deep appreciation for our hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions. I've spent countless days enjoying our public lands, and I understand that access to those lands and healthy wildlife populations are part of what makes Wyoming such a special place to live.

As a legislator, I'll work to preserve Wyoming's sporting heritage by protecting public access, supporting science-based wildlife management, and ensuring wildlife remains a public resource for everyone. I also believe we can support the ranchers, energy producers, and other industries that are essential to our economy while being good stewards of the lands and wildlife that define our state. Those goals require thoughtful leadership, respect for local voices, and a willingness to work together.

I will always listen to sportsmen, landowners, wildlife professionals, and most importantly, my constituents, before making decisions. My goal is to leave Wyoming's outdoor heritage stronger for the next generation.

PUBLIC LANDS: I am opposed to the sale of public lands.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I am opposed to the privatization of wildlife. Many Countries around the World have privatized wildlife, and in those Countries, only the very wealthy have access to wildlife for hunting. In the United States, we follow the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This model is the envy of the World. It guarantees public access to wildlife for hunting and other recreational purposes. I spent over 30 years working as a professional wildlife biologist protecting hunting opportunities, and I am still a Certified Wildlife Biologist®. There are many tried and true programs available through Game and Fish and other agencies to support working ranches and healthy wildlife populations, and I would be very effective at helping manage and develop these programs going into the future.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes, I will oppose efforts to politicize wildlife management. As I stated for a previous question, in the United States, we follow the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This model is the envy of the World. It guarantees public access to wildlife for hunting and other recreational purposes. I spent over 30 years working as a professional wildlife biologist protecting hunting opportunities, and I am still a Certified Wildlife Biologist®.

OTHER INFORMATION: I have a strong track record of fighting for hunting opportunities. I spent over 30 years working as a professional wildlife biologist, and I am still a Certified Wildlife Biologist®. I served as Gun Owners of America's National Hunter Outreach Director for over 5 additional years. In 2023, I successfully led national efforts to override Biden's Executive Order that attempted to shut down hunter safety, archery, and shooting sports in America's schools. There are many other examples demonstrating my commitment to hunters and access across our great Country and in Wyoming.

PUBLIC LANDS: I grew up understanding how important public lands are to Wyoming families. These lands aren’t just acres on a map — they’re where we work, hunt, fish, ranch, and spend time with our families. I’m not for selling them off or transferring them broadly to the state. I am for common-sense management, local input, and keeping access open for the people who depend on them.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose transferable landowner tags and any attempt to privatize Wyoming’s wildlife. Wildlife belongs to the people of Wyoming, not to be bought and sold for private profit. At the same time, I strongly support our ranchers and landowners who provide valuable habitat, and I favor voluntary, practical incentives that reward good stewardship, keep ranch lands productive, and improve access and wildlife habitat for everyone.
If we want healthy wildlife populations, we should reward conservation and stewardship, not create a pay-to-play system for hunting tags.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which holds that wildlife belongs to all the people and should be managed through science, not politics.

OTHER INFORMATION: I believe in private property rights and public access working together. Wyoming’s hunters and landowners should not be treated as enemies. We should support professional wildlife management, protect landowners from abuse, and preserve fair, lawful access for sportsmen whenever possible.

PUBLIC LANDS: I agree with what people in my district want: to keep public lands public, and for us to be good stewards of the land and its resources. Based on that, I'm an not in favor of broad sale of federal public lands.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I do agree that Wyoming wildlife is held in trust by the state of Wyoming for the people of Wyoming. However, after talking with ranchers in the district, I can see that this is a more nuanced question than it initially appears. I believe some limited system of landowner tags might be able to be implemented in a way to allow ranchers more control over how their land is accessed, and yet not be used for personal profit of the landowner. The ranchers I've talked with have no desire to make any profit; they only to have more say about the overall process.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes, I would oppose efforts to politicize wildlife management. My philosophy is to let experts be experts, and to get politicians and government out of the way as much as possible.

OTHER INFORMATION: As a hunter, hiker, camper, and shooter for many decades, I appreciate the wildlife and the landscapes we are blessed with in Wyoming. We all have a stake in protecting these natural resources responsibly and thoughtfully. If elected, I would always work toward that goal.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the sale of Federal Lands to the state - and to private people and entities. I believe that any transfer of federal public lands to the state eventually facilitates sale/transfer to private hands. Keep our public lands open and free with an eye for multiple use management.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose the privatization of our wildlife - and transferable landowner tags. I believe that there is an opportunity for partnerships with our farmers and ranchers in preserving the habitat and livelihood.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Wildlife management is best handled by the Wyoming Game and Fish - not elected officials with little to no knowledge of best practices. I agree with the North American model for wildlife conservation.

OTHER INFORMATION: Our wildlands and wildlife are one of our greatest treasures - and make Wyoming unique. These lands represent freedom and inspire our Wyoming values.

PUBLIC LANDS: My palm cards read: "Keep Public Lands in Public Hands
so Wyoming families can hunt, fish, ranch, recreate, and pass our outdoor heritage on to
the next generation."
Public Lands are one of the cornerstones of what makes Wyoming like no place on earth!

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I am against transferable landowner tags. I believe Wyoming does a good job in fairly compensating landowners with tags available to them and their family members, landowner coupons that provide them compensation when public tag holders harvest game on private lands, as well as compensation available when there is agricultural damage due to wildlife. I believe that privatization of wildlife is a slippery slope Wyoming shouldn't go down.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: The North American Model is the gold standard when it comes to wildlife management. I believe wildlife should be managed with sound biological practices and good field data to support that. Wyoming Game and Fish is one of the best agencies on the planet! Their professionals should direct the management of our wildlife; not the legislature, nor by the ballot box.

OTHER INFORMATION: Big game migration corridors need to be protected as much as humanly possible. It will take collaboration between Federal and State Agencies, private landowners, and the public to keep these corridors intact.

PUBLIC LANDS: Against

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Oppose

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I support scientific management

OTHER INFORMATION: I am a hunter and support keeping public lands in public hands.

PUBLIC LANDS: State lands are not public lands, they are held in trust to generate revenue for public schools. As such, I tend to oppose the transfer or sale of federal public lands to the state as they would cease to be public lands.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: While our Wyoming Constitution and state statutes fundamentally prohibit the privatization of wildlife, we need workable solutions that balance the needs of landowners, wildlife, habitat, and sportsman. Our Game & Fish Dept and Wyoming Stockgrowers Assoc. are working together to form a committee of stakeholders. The committee will discuss issues like landowner tags and damage claims and bring their recommendations to TRW. I look forward to hearing their suggestions.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I strongly support our Wyoming Game & Fish Dept and oppose any efforts to restrict or diminish their ability to manage Wyoming's habitat and wildlife.

OTHER INFORMATION: I think it's important for the state to establish long-term revenue streams for G&F to ensure stability and sustainability. Our sportsman and anglers carry the load with little investment from the state. This interim, TRW is exploring the establishment of a wildlife trust for this purpose.

PUBLIC LANDS: As a co-sponsor of SJ0009 – Keeping Public Lands Protected and Decisions Local, I believe Wyoming's public lands are fundamental to our economy, outdoor heritage, agriculture, energy production, hunting, fishing, recreation, and way of life. SJ0009 recognized that public lands should remain available to the people of Wyoming and opposed broad, indiscriminate disposal without meaningful input from Wyoming's communities. I support keeping public lands in public hands while ensuring that local governments, landowners, and citizens have a meaningful voice in federal land management decisions. I also support practical land exchanges and transfers that improve public access or better serve Wyoming communities.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: Wyoming's wildlife belongs to all Wyomingites and should remain a public trust—not a private commodity. Through my voting record, I have opposed the privatization of wildlife. At the same time, I recognize the tremendous contribution Wyoming ranchers make by providing habitat that supports healthy wildlife populations. I support voluntary, incentive-based conservation partnerships that respect private property rights while strengthening wildlife habitat and maintaining public hunting opportunities.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes. Wildlife management should continue to be based on sound science and guided by professional wildlife biologists and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. The Legislature's role is to establish policy and provide oversight—not to replace scientific expertise with politics. I support the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and believe decisions affecting Wyoming's wildlife should be transparent, science-based, and accountable to the people of Wyoming.

OTHER INFORMATION: I understand they support far more than recreation. They sustain our ranchers, energy producers, outfitters, local economies, and outdoor traditions. My goal is to preserve those opportunities by protecting public access, respecting private property rights, supporting science-based wildlife management, and ensuring local communities have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect Wyoming's future. Thankfully, my district continues to report these same beliefs through my survey. Wyoming, in the next few years, we are really going to have to fight to keep Wyoming's public lands protected and decisions local.

PUBLIC LANDS: The local residents are stewards of their land. While indiscriminate transfers make no logical sense to me, I believe that the people that live in Wyoming have the ability and desire to maintain our public lands better than decision makers on the other side of the nation.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I have spent my entire life hunting Wyoming lands, and I firmly oppose privatizing wildlife for private gain. My district is urban, so I know I don't face the same challenges as our ranchers but I do know that ranchers and stewards who protect the land play a vital role for all of us. I've read about proposals to compensate landowners for their conservation work, and it makes sense: if wildlife is truly a public asset, then those who protect it deserve to be compensated for doing so. I appreciate every landowner who has welcomed me onto their property to feed my family, and I will always support solutions that keep working lands working.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I believe our wildlife should not be politicized and will oppose all efforts to do so. I fully support the North American model for wildlife conservation, and believe scientific management remains the public’s need and proper means for wildlife.

OTHER INFORMATION: "Protect public lands" has become a political catch phrase in this election season. I am running specifically because I know the gap between what is claimed, and how people act, can be dramatically different. Public lands are dear to my heart, and if elected, one of my primary concerns is ensuring public lands stay public. I've watched too many decisions get made behind closed doors while the people who actually use these lands are left out of the conversation. I'm running to change that.

Public lands belong to the people who live here. Not developers, not corporation, and not to politicians who confuse concern with action.

That's not a slogan. That's a promise.

PUBLIC LANDS: Public lands belong in public hands. End of story. The only trustworthy steward of public lands is the public. Selling or exchanging public lands to private entities will limit public accessibility, damage the environment, and erode the land's quality. That is a net-negative for all Wyomingites. The public should be able to use public land for recreation, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. For-profit industries will not treat public land the same. I cannot identify a justifiable reason for selling mass swaths of public lands. As noted in this question, the only sensible position is transfer of land that increases public access and has local support. The Legislature should reject any effort to sell or indiscriminate transfer mass swaths of public lands, especially when there is no good or defensible reason for doing so. I plan to support efforts to protect public lands and demand accountability for how those lands are managed. Science, facts, and the people should lead the discussion around public lands, not corporations and profit.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: In the spirit of the previous question and my position on public lands, I feel the same way about wildlife and do not believe it should be privatized. I am opposed to transferable landowner tags as it would only benefit wealthy ranchers and box out the little guy and the public. Just like public lands, science, facts, and the people should lead the discussion around wildlife and how to best support productive ranch land and wildlife populations. The answer is not to privatize – it is to let scientific management and protecting public access guide policy decisions.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Yes, I would oppose such efforts to politicize wildlife management, as well as land management, and I would uphold the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Experts should be in control of management of wildlife and lands for the simple reason that they are the most qualified to do so. Beyond that, it is in the public’s interest to allow them to maintain control over management decisions, as they are not driven by the political and ideological motivations politicians are. When in the hands of politicians, as when in the hands of profit-machines, management of wildlife and land is corrupted in the service of financial and political goals rather than in the service of the public, conservation, and environmental protection. The legislature needs to let the experts lead.

OTHER INFORMATION: My position is largely driven by a strong belief in science, facts, and the importance of not letting profit infect our natural treasures. Although I am not as frequent a user of public lands or sporting as others, I have grown up in Wyoming understanding the necessity of protecting these lands, sporting activities, and science. I have learned a lot by speaking to folks about this, and it has only solidified my belief that we need to protect public access to what makes Wyoming great: our natural wonders of land and life and the traditions around them.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the sale or transfer of federal public lands. These are lands owned by and for the enjoyment of the American people. Federal lands are an incredible legacy that those of us who live in Wyoming have the privilege of enjoying on a daily basis if we so choose. With that close, easy access to public lands comes the obligation to be stewards of these lands. The state does not have the financial or personnel resources to meet this obligation.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose efforts to privatize wildlife. Transferable landowner tags create a two tiered system that favors those who can afford to pay for access. Landowners already receive their tags before the general draw and can charge trespass fees for hunters or outfitters wishing to hunt on their land. Wildlife in Wyoming is a public good not a commercial commodity.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: Absolutely!

OTHER INFORMATION: I don't think everyone in Wyoming realizes how public lands access in Wyoming makes it different from so many other states for outdoor enthusiasts be they hunters, anglers, hikers, birders, bikers, or the myriad other ways we enjoy our public lands. Add to that the contribution public lands make to Wyoming's economy. Tourism, the #2 industry in Wyoming, relies on our public lands.

PUBLIC LANDS: I oppose the sale of public lands. While there may be specific cases where the greater public would wish for a specific area of public land to be sold, the opportunities that maintaining access to these public lands offers is far too large to disregard. It gives our citizens incredible, unique, opportunities for all manner of recreation which many other states lack. It is also a constant and sustainable revenue stream for the state, to help support systems for the citizens which would otherwise have to be paid for by the taxpayers.

PUBLIC WILDLIFE: I oppose the privatization of wildlife, due to the loss of out-of-state revenue, in-state-revenue, and the increased difficulty in managing the wildlife that does exist in our state. Such a system would provide perverse incentives to landowners to double and triple sell tags in favor of profits, rather than keeping the focus on managing the delicate ecosystem of the state.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: I oppose politicizing wildlife management. The people who work in government agencies such as the Game and Fish Commission are experts who have dedicated decades of their lives to reaching the deepest and most nuanced understanding in how to create sustainable ecosystem. I believe that the North American model for wildlife conservation is the most effective approach to managing these agencies, and that if we were to pass these decisions to legislators we would be removing an enormous well of knowledge and experience which is mandatory to the long-term effectiveness of such a field.

OTHER INFORMATION: I oppose the acquisition of public federal lands by the state and the sale of state public lands to private entities or the federal government. Due to the economic burden of taking on new public lands, we are not in a position to take custody of these lands. Maintaining state ownership of our current public lands, given the strong state of these lands, is a recreational and economic benefit to our citizens.

I believe that it is of the highest importance to maintain public access to public lands, for our citizens. They are the ultimate owners of those lands and should be able to see the benefits of being a citizen in our state through that access. As taxpayers who are themselves providing the funding for stewardship of these lands, it would be akin to telling a homeowner they cannot walk into their own yard.

I am a strong supporter of respecting and valuing the knowledge of true experts in the subject of public land management. We cannot expect any random citizen or legislator to have a sufficiently deep understanding of the highly complex issues around managing and maintaining almost a hundred thousand square miles of diverse ecosystem and wildlife habitat. The expertise that can only be found through a lifetime career and the consistency of government agencies can not be stated in understanding how we approach maintaining our lands in a sustainable and safe manner.