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The acquisition of more than 35,000 acres of formerly private land in Wyoming shows how the Land and Water Conservation Fund is key to the success of the Biden administration's 30x30 initiative. The Bureau of Land Management last week completed its purchase of Marton Ranch, which runs along 8.8 miles of the North Platte River. The acquisition opens public access to another 40,000 acres of state and federal public lands that were previously unreachable, creating a 118-square-mile area of contiguous public land.
The purchase was facilitated by The Conservation Fund, which emphasized that it was a win for wildlife, hunters, and fishermen.
“Everything from outdoor recreation and public access to wildlife habitat to agriculture, continuing to the riparian corridor, which is a rare habitat in Wyoming, to helping out the local economy,” said Dan Schlager, Wyoming state director at The Conservation Fund. “The wildlife habitat includes the North Platte River. And it's a premier destination for catching trophy rainbow and brown trout.”
President Biden made increased access to public lands a cornerstone of his environmental policy when he signed an executive order setting a goal to protect 30 percent of America's land and waters by 2030. The purchase demonstrates how public-private partnerships are key to that goal.
The Bureau of Land Management “works hard to provide additional access to previously inaccessible public lands by working with partner organizations,” BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said. “We are so grateful for these partnerships that allow us to conserve and expand access to public lands for many generations to come.”
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