New poll: More than 90 percent of Wyoming voters oppose public land sell-off

CHEYENNE — More than 90% of Wyoming voters agree that Wyoming’s federally managed public lands should remain in public hands and oppose any efforts to sell them off, according to new polling released today by Keep It Public, Wyoming.

Wyoming is among the most conservative states in the U.S., and public land stewardship is a non-negotiable priority for voters across the Equality State. The survey reveals that more than 9-in-10 Wyoming voters (91%) oppose proposals calling for the sell-off of federally managed public land, such as those managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and National Park Service (NPS).

The survey of 450 likely Wyoming primary and general election voters was conducted for Keep It Public, Wyoming, July 27-29 by Cygnal, an award-winning international polling firm that regularly conducts surveys in the Cowboy State. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.61%.

“Opposition to public lands selloffs cuts heavily across political lines, bringing together outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, ranchers, local business leaders and conservationists across Wyoming,” said Cygnal Senior Partner and Pollster Chris Lane. “In surveys across the West, we are increasingly seeing that voters across the spectrum are backing keeping public lands public, because they know once they are gone, they are gone for good.”

Nearly half of Wyoming is federally managed public land — one of the largest shares of any state — that is used for hunting, fishing, grazing, mining, energy production and outdoor recreation. 

“When it comes to our public lands, the message from Wyoming is resounding: public lands belong in public hands,” said Lauren Heerschap, owner of Brunton in Riverton and a leader of the Keep It Public, Wyoming coalition. “These days, when it feels like so few things unite us, it’s not surprising to me that public lands do. So many Wyomingites turn to the outdoors for a wide variety of reasons — for hunting, fishing, backpacking, off-roading. Public lands are our Wyoming way of life.”

Key polling highlights:

Overwhelming Rejection of Land Sales: 91% of respondents oppose selling or privatizing public lands, with 80% stating they strongly oppose such measures.

Conservative Support: The near-universal opposition to selling off public lands included almost all Republican voters polled, 91% of whom support current multiple-use management practices over sell-off. 

Speaking from Experience: More than 9-in-10 respondents (91.5%) say they or someone in their household hunts, fishes, or recreates on public lands.

Access for Outdoor Heritage: Public lands are vital to Wyoming’s way of life. The top public lands priorities for Wyoming voters are maintaining hunting/fishing/recreation access (40%), passing land to future generations (28%) and keeping decisions in Wyoming’s hands (21%).

Opposition to Data Centers, Wind and Solar: A mere 10% of voters think building data centers on public lands is an acceptable use, and just 25% think wind and solar energy are acceptable uses on public lands. 

The Keep It Public, Wyoming coalition has helped defeat large-scale sell-off proposals at the state and federal levels.

In 2025, Wyoming lawmakers defeated by a single vote Senate Joint Resolution 2 (SJ-2), a resolution calling for the transfer of all federal public land in Wyoming to the state (except Yellowstone National Park). That same year, a massive bipartisan backlash stopped a federal proposal to sell off 2 to 3 million acres of public lands across the West.

This year, Wyoming lawmakers overwhelmingly supported Senate Joint Resolution 9 (SJ-9), “Keeping public lands protected and decisions local,” which was championed by Keep It Public, Wyoming members, among many others. The measure affirmed Wyoming’s opposition to the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. 

Keep It Public, Wyoming urges state and federal lawmakers to respect the clear will of Wyoming voters and prioritize the funding, stewardship and perpetuation of public lands over disposal schemes.

Public lands are a priority for Wyoming voters, ranking second overall (13.3%) behind inflation and the cost of living (18.8%) among top issues in the forthcoming election. Most voters (64%) said they had seen, read, or heard “some” or “a great deal” about recent proposals to sell off federally managed public lands in Wyoming, and 79% said they would be less likely to support an elected official who supports selling or transferring public lands in Wyoming.