Convened by the Ruckelshaus Institute at the University of Wyoming's Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources
in partnership with the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI)
The history of state trust land is inextricable from the very foundations of our democracy, but is often overlooked or misunderstood. From the mid 1700s to the late 1950s, state trust lands were granted to states upon admission to the union as a way to encourage public education, which America’s founders viewed as integral to a thriving republic. Today, there are approximately 46 million acres of state trust land across 23 states. 85 percent of them lie in the Intermountain West—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Trust lands are managed to make money for schools and other public institutions, traditionally by selling leases for oil and gas development, mining, grazing, and logging, and through land sales. Taking the average of 2019 to 2023, Wyoming’s 3.5 million surface acres and 3.9 subsurface acres produce around $163 million in revenue annually, the vast majority of which comes from mineral leases and royalties, particularly oil and gas development. In addition to revenue generation, in 1992 the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners granted the public the privilege of using trust lands that they could access without trespassing on other lands, with the exception of camping and open fires.
As markets evolve and public interest in the management of Wyoming's state trust lands grows, the Ruckelshaus Institute sees this moment as an opportunity to create shared understanding about the history and role of state trust lands while exploring the potential of new and emerging uses to integrate with existing uses and provide additional revenue streams to support Wyoming's public institutions.
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Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center | 222 S 22nd St, Laramie, WY 82070
8:30-9:30am: Breakfast and Registration
9:30-9:45am: Welcome
9:45-11:00: Presentation
For the Beneficiaries: Illuminating the oft-forgotten and misunderstood history and role of state trust lands, understanding current use and management, and looking to future challenges and opportunities.
11-11:15am: Break
11:15-12pm: Lightning talks
Money Matters: A brief foray into the investment side of state trust land.
12-1pm: Lunch
1-2pm: Panel + Q&A.
Managing in the Mix: Successes and challenges navigating the interface between trust parcels and the lands and communities around them.
2-3pm: Facilitated dialogue + Small group discussions
Engaging the Public, Meaningfully: A conversation about achieving more sustainable, less contentious land-use decisions.
3-3:15pm: Break
3:15-4:15pm: Panel + Q&A
Beyond our Borders: State trust land management and innovation in other western states
4:15-4:45pm: Presentation + Q&A
$100 million: An update on Kelly Parcel revenue and the proposed purchase of land in the Powder River Basin
4:45-6:00pm: Reception with cash bar and poster session from Haub School capstone undergraduate and graduate students
320 S 2nd St, Laramie, WY 82070. Back room (seats 70) reserved under "State Trust Land Forum."
Starting at 6:00pm and continuing through the evening, connect with other forum attendees and keep the conversation going with a buy-your-own dinner at Altitude Chophouse & Brewery in downtown Laramie.
Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center | 222 S 22nd St, Laramie, WY 82070
8-9am: Breakfast
9-10:30am: Concurrent workshop sessions. These sessions will be driven by small-group discussions, so please come prepared to participate.
New and Emerging Uses: What are the barriers and opportunities, how would it work, what benefits could it provide to the beneficiaries and others?
10:30-11am: Break
11-12:30pm: Concurrent workshop sessions. These sessions will be driven by small-group discussions, so please come prepared to participate.
New and Emerging Uses: What are the barriers and opportunities, how would it work, what benefits could it provide to the beneficiaries and others?
12:30-1:30pm: Lunch
1:30-2:30: Concurrent workshop sessions. These sessions will be driven by small-group discussions, so please come prepared to participate. Where the morning is primarily focused on "defining the problem," or better understanding the situation, this afternoon session will be focused on designing solutions in working groups formed around specific challenges raised during the morning discussion.
Bringing it Together: Integrating emerging and existing uses through partnerships and policy
2:30-3:30: Salon B/C: Panel + Audience Q&A.
Takeaways: Bringing knowledge and partnerships from the forum into your work
