Wyoming
Opinion | Rolling back roadless protections puts Wyoming’s water at risk
In Wyoming, people don’t need a policy briefing to understand where our water comes from. It starts high in the mountains — snowmelt filtering through forests in places like the Wyoming Range, the Bighorns and the headwaters of the Snake, Green and North Platte rivers.
What happens in those headwaters matters.
For the past 25 years, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has helped protect many of these places by limiting new road construction in the most intact parts of our national forests. It covers nearly 45 million acres nationwide, including large swaths of Wyoming — lands that continue to do the work nature designed them to do.
Now, there’s a renewed push to roll those protections back. That decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. The stakes are close to home: clean drinking water, healthy rivers and the future of hunting and fishing in Wyoming.
Roads may seem harmless. But in backcountry forests, they fundamentally change how watersheds function. Cut into steep terrain, they erode, channel runoff and deliver sediment into streams. They disrupt the natural processes that keep water clean and flows stable.
That has real consequences downstream, as many communities get their drinking water from rivers. More sediment means higher treatment costs for communities and greater stress on water systems. It affects irrigators, municipalities and anyone who depends on reliable, clean water — which in Wyoming is just about everyone.
The same is true for fish.
Healthy trout populations — whether in big rivers or smaller mountain tributaries — depend on cold, clean, connected water. Those conditions are increasingly found in places we’ve disturbed the least. Where road networks expand, that system breaks down: Streams warm, spawning gravels fill with sediment and migration routes are cut off.
Two-thirds of Wyoming’s state-designated “blue ribbon” trout streams have their headwaters protected within roadless areas. It’s no accident that some of Wyoming’s best fisheries are tied to roadless headwaters. These areas act as refuges — places where natural processes still work as they should. For many in Wyoming, that translates directly into opportunity.
Hunting and fishing are not abstract values here. They are part of the economy and Wyoming’s identity. Outfitters, guides and local businesses depend on healthy wildlife populations and intact landscapes. Families depend on them for food, tradition and time together outdoors.
And anyone who has spent time in the Wyoming backcountry knows a simple truth: The further you get from roads, the better the experience tends to be. That doesn’t mean roads have no place. But it does mean we should be thoughtful about where we build more — especially given how many we already have.
The Forest Service already manages an extensive road system and faces a multibillion-dollar maintenance backlog. Many of those roads are deteriorating, contributing sediment to streams and requiring costly repairs. Expanding that system deeper into the backcountry adds long-term liabilities for taxpayers without clear benefits.
It’s also important to be clear about what the roadless rule does and doesn’t do. It does not lock up land or prevent active management. Forest managers can still reduce wildfire risk, improve habitat and carry out restoration projects. Those tools are being used today, including in Wyoming.
What the rule does is draw a common-sense boundary around the most intact landscapes, ensuring they remain largely unfragmented over time. That’s not extreme. It’s practical.
It’s also popular. When the roadless rule was first adopted, more than a million Americans weighed in with overwhelming support for protecting these areas. That kind of broad agreement is rare — especially today.
And it reflects something important: People value clean water, strong fisheries and the ability to hunt, fish and explore public lands without seeing every corner carved up by roads.
Elected officials should take note. In Wyoming and across the West, voters consistently support responsible stewardship of public lands. They expect decisions that protect the resources communities depend on — not policies that risk long-term damage for short-term gain.
We’ve already seen what happens when road networks expand too far into sensitive landscapes: degraded water quality, declining fisheries and rising costs for land managers and taxpayers alike. The roadless rule was put in place to prevent those outcomes before they occur.
At its core, this isn’t about restricting the use of public lands. It’s about making sure those lands continue to provide what Wyoming depends on: clean water, abundant wildlife and access to the kinds of places that define this state.
Generational investments and smart policy like the roadless rule pay dividends. Keeping Wyoming’s headwaters intact is one of them.
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile
Albert Sommers, former Wyoming Speaker of the House, announced Thursday he will attempt to reclaim a seat he formerly held for more than a decade in the statehouse.
“Leadership matters,” Sommers, a lifelong cattle rancher, wrote in a press release. “Right now, the Wyoming House is too often focused on division instead of solutions. We need steady, effective leadership that solves problems—not rhetoric and political theater.”
Voters in 2013 first elected Sommers to House District 20, which encompasses Sublette County and an eastern section of Lincoln County. As a lawmaker, Sommers largely focused on health care, education and water issues. Over six terms, he rose through the ranks, serving in leadership positions and chairing committees focused on education funding and broadband.
In his announcement, Sommers highlighted his legislative work to establish funding for rural hospitals, prioritize “responsible property tax relief,” as well as the creation of the Wyoming Colorado River Advisory Committee within the State Engineer’s Office, “to ensure our water users have a voice in critical decisions affecting the Green River Valley,” he wrote.
As speaker, Sommers was a frequent target of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus as well as the DC-based State Freedom Caucus Network, even getting the attention of Fox News and other national, conservative news outlets. They often accused Sommers of not being conservative enough, and criticized him for keeping bills in “the drawer,” which has long been code for the unilateral power a speaker has to kill legislation by holding it back. (The practice of holding bills has been used to a much higher degree under Freedom Caucus leadership.)
In 2023, Sommers used the speaker’s powers to kill bills related to a school voucher program, banning instruction on gender and sexual orientation from some classrooms and criminalizing gender-affirming care for minors. At the time, Sommers defended his decision to hold back “bills that are unconstitutional, not well vetted, duplicate bills or debates, and bills that negate local control, restrict the rights of people or risk costly litigation financed by the people of Wyoming.”
He reiterated that philosophy and defended his record in his Thursday campaign announcement.
“I am a common-sense conservative who believes in getting things done. I support our core industries—oil and gas, ranching, and tourism—and I will continue to fight for the people and natural resources of Sublette County and LaBarge. I am pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family, and pro-education,” Sommers wrote. “I also take seriously my oath to uphold the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions, which means I didn’t support bills that violated those constitutions. I read bills carefully and I voted accordingly.”
Following his term as speaker, Sommers stepped away from the House to run for Senate District 14 in 2024. He lost in the primary election to political newcomer Laura Pearson, a Freedom Caucus-endorsed Republican from Kemmerer, who also won in the general election. Her Senate win coincided with the Freedom Caucus winning control of the House.
“That race didn’t go my way, and I respected the outcome,” Sommers said in a Thursday press release. But “the direction of the Wyoming House,” since then, he said, has “raised serious concerns.”
Sommers pointed to the Freedom Caucus and its budget proposal, which, despite a funding surplus, included major cuts and funding denials. Ahead of the session, the caucus said its sights were set on shrinking spending and limiting the growth of government.
In his Thursday press release, Sommers criticized “decisions that cut food assistance for vulnerable children, reduced business opportunities, slashed funding to the University of Wyoming, eliminated resources for cheatgrass control, denied raises for state employees, and removed positions critical to protecting Wyoming’s water rights.”
Most of those proposals did not make it into the final budget bill.
Sommers also pointed to a controversy that dominated the 2026 session after a Teton County conservative activist handed out campaign checks to lawmakers on the House floor. Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously voted to ban such behavior before a House Special Investigative Committee found that the exchange did not violate the Wyoming Constitution nor did it amount to legislative misconduct. A Laramie County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigation is still underway.
But “controversies like ‘Checkgate’ undermined public trust, and decorum in the House deteriorated,” Sommers said.
“Transparency and accessibility will remain central to how I serve,” Sommers said. “As I’ve done before, I will provide regular updates on legislation, seek your input, and clearly explain my votes.”
Incumbent bows out
Rep. Mike Schmid, R-La Barge, currently represents House District 20, but announced Thursday morning that he would not seek reelection.
“It has truly been an honor to serve as your State Representative for House District 20. When I first ran, I had hoped to serve up to three terms and continue building on what I learned during my first term,” Schmid wrote in a Facebook post. “But life can change your priorities. Over the past year, my family has gone through some difficult times. My wife is dealing with serious health issues, and the death of my brother, Jim, just a few short weeks ago have made it clear to me where I need to spend my time.”
In March, Bill Winney, a perennial candidate and former nuclear submarine commander, announced he would run for House District 20.
The official candidate filing period opens May 14.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
Related
The following is a news release from the Wyoming’s Rock Springs Police Department:
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — The Rock Springs Police Department is investigating a fatal incident that occurred early this morning in the parking lot of the Flying J Travel Center.
At approximately 5:00 a.m., a Flying J employee was working to direct commercial vehicle traffic within the lot. Initial findings suggest that as one semitruck began to move, the employee was positioned between that vehicle and a second stationary vehicle. The employee was subsequently pinned between the two units.
Rock Springs Fire Department and Castle Rock Ambulance arrived on the scene and coordinated life-saving measures. Despite the rapid response and medical intervention, the employee was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time pending the notification of family members.
The driver involved in the incident, a resident of Idaho, remained on-site and has been fully cooperative with investigators. Following an initial statement and questioning, the driver was released. While the investigation remains open, the incident currently appears to be a tragic accident.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and the staff at Flying J. We also want to commend the rapid response and professional life-saving efforts coordinated by Rock Springs Fire and Castle Rock Ambulance during this difficult call.
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Wyoming
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon won’t seek a third term. He won’t rule out running for other offices, either
(WYOFILE) – Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon will not seek a third term, his office announced Thursday. However, the two-term Republican governor has not ruled out running for another office.
“He’s still kind of exploring his options,” Amy Edmonds, Gordon’s spokesperson, told WyoFile.
As candidates across Wyoming have announced bids for various statewide offices in recent months, Gordon has been tight-lipped about his own plans, leading to speculation that he would put the state’s gubernatorial term limits to the test.
In two opinions about a decade apart, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that term limits on legislators as well as on most top elected positions in the state were unconstitutional. While the high court has not addressed the qualifications for governor, it’s been widely suggested that a court challenge would be successful. Such was the discussion in 2010, when Democratic Gov. Dave Freudenthal ultimately chose not to seek a third term.
There’s also been speculation that Gordon may run for Congress, which he’s done in the past. In 2008, Gordon ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was ultimately defeated by Cynthia Lummis in the primary election. If Gordon seeks the seat in 2026, he’ll join a crowded field that has already attracted at least 10 Republicans. It’s possible he could also be eyeing a run for Wyoming’s soon-to-be open U.S. Senate seat — a choice that would pit him against Rep. Harriet Hageman, whom he defeated in the governor’s race in 2018.
Wyoming’s candidate filing period opens for two weeks at the end of May.
As for the rest of Gordon’s final term in the governor’s office, his “focus remains on essential pillars like supporting core industries, growing Wyoming’s economy, strengthening local communities and families, and safeguarding Wyoming’s vital natural resources,” according to the Thursday press release.
Starting in June, Gordon will set out on a series of community visits to “engage directly with citizens,” the release states, and is particularly interested in having discussions about “protecting our resilient property tax base that funds local services like education, fire protection, police services and others, as well as honoring local control, investing in our future through smart saving and continued stewardship of our wildlife, land, and water.”
The governor also pointed to the Aug. 18 primary election.
“You don’t have to be Governor to make a difference in Wyoming,” Gordon wrote. “Participating in elections is something all of us can do to make a real difference, and these conversations are important to have to ensure everyone makes informed decisions about the future of Wyoming.”
Whether Gordon will run for office is one lingering question — to what degree he will support other candidates is another.
In 2024, Gordon personally spent more than $160,000 on statehouse races, backing non-Wyoming Freedom Caucus Republicans who generally aligned with his positions on energy, economic diversification, mental health services and education.
While many of those races did not go Gordon’s way — the Freedom Caucus won control of the House — the governor is coming off a legislative budget session where lawmakers largely approved his proposed budget.
More specifically, the Legislature’s final budget came in about $53 million shy of the governor’s $11 billion recommendations after significant cuts were floated by the Freedom Caucus lawmakers ahead of the session. Many of those notable cuts — including to the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Business Council — were ultimately rejected.
While Gordon applauded the final budget, he also said in March he was “saddened by some of the reductions,” including the Legislature’s decision to nix SUN Bucks, the summer food program that fills the gap for kids when there are no school lunches. Wednesday, however, the governor signed an executive order that will start delivering food benefits to Wyoming families as early as June.
Details for Gordon’s upcoming community visits will be posted to the governor’s website, according to the press release.
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