The proposed selling of a strip of Yosemite is “…so ridiculous, it makes you sick,” said Don Neubacher, a former Yosemite supervisor. “We must protect and preserve our public lands,” said Lisa Kinney, candidate for Wyoming’s US House seat speaking against the proposal which hasn’t yet occurred. “The federal government is slowly stripping and ruining our public lands through sales like this and other proposed bills.” According to the National Parks Conservation Association, the federal government would exchange Yosemite land for other property owned by Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a real estate investor. Neubacher indicated that a similar idea was proposed in the early 2000’s. It was rejected by the Park Service and also the court. Kingsbarn bought two parcels that directly border the park in early 2024 for $4 million through a Limited Liability Company and wants to connect this land with the purchase, according to the TV station KQED. Yosemite National Park was created in 1864 by President Theodore Roosevelt and is the fifth most visited National Park. It is considered a “shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life…” [National Park Service]. “We must stop the sale of our public lands to wealthy individuals,” Kinney continued, “it is not what the citizens of Wyoming want.” She concluded that her opponent Chuck Gray embraces Trump and supports public lands, both of which cannot occur simultaneously.
Category: Public Lands
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Another Call for Public Lands
Teno Rencalio was the last Democrat elected to the Wyoming US House in 1965 and he served until 1978. I believe we need to turn the page and work toward the needs of Wyomingites. I will work to make sure that all citizens, the hard-working, honest, help-your-neighbor individuals are number ONE in my priorities. The Public Lands in Public Hands Act, H.R. 71 restricted transfer or sale of federal lands that have public access and was introduced in Congress on January 23, 2025 and has not moved since. I plan to reintroduce that bill. I am grateful for your concern about our future – everywhere I go I see beautiful public lands. In order to do this, I need your support! Electing another Democrat to the US House will ensure Wyoming’s legacy for generations to come! Thank you!
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Forest Service Rule Changes
On July 1, the U.S. Forest Service proposed a rule in the Federal Register eliminating public input regarding how “national forests get run, who gets a grazing permit, how a timber sale gets reviewed for damage to water and wildlife, what deadline you have to object before a decision goes final, etc.” All of us can find and comment on the proposed rule here. These decisions are made by the Forest Service in handbooks, not Congress.
Will Pattiz just wrote in “More Than Just Parks” an article entitled “Forest Service to Remove Your Voice from Public Lands Decisions” that describes the situation. The public can read the entire Substack article here.
Lisa Kinney, former Wyoming State Senator and current candidate for US House of Representatives, is passionate about keeping public lands in public hands. “If the public is no longer able to comment on public lands decisions, are the lands really in our hands?” she asked.
Kinney sees no benefit in eliminating public comment. “Our recommendations have been important to the Forest Service for decades, but suddenly they propose to eliminate our input. Why?” Her questions continued: “Where is this coming from? If they decide to sell public lands, what is the objective?”
Lisa simply doesn’t trust what is happening here and she and her campaign believe that the people of Wyoming need to be aware before it is too late.
“We need to make our voices heard,” Lisa said. “Wouldn’t it be great if the Forest Service received thousands of comments from all of us who are public lands supporters?” Please submit your comments directly to the US Forest Service here.
Thank you for your support!