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Wyoming counties bring congressional staff to state to show resource and economic issues
Summary
The Wyoming County Commissioners Association described a multi-year program that brings congressional staffers to Wyoming to see energy, agriculture, forest management, wildlife and other public-land topics firsthand. The program aims to build relationships and inform federal staff about local priorities.
The Wyoming County Commissioners Association told the Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee about an ongoing congressional‑staff tour program intended to familiarize federal staff with Wyoming’s resources, land‑use challenges and local governments.
Jeremiah Ryman, executive director of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association, said the initiative brings 15 to 20 senior congressional staffers to different regions of Wyoming each year; the association pays for staff travel and counties provide local funding and planning. Ryman said the program deliberately includes bipartisan and geographically diverse staffers and pairs the tour with a separate reunion in Washington, D.C., to maintain relationships.
"These staffers hear from state legislators, state and federal agency personnel, the governor's office, county commissioners, city officials, as well as other public land users," Ryman said. The tours have included site visits and discussions on oil and gas development, grazing, renewable energy siting, wildfire and forest management, water issues, and the economic role of federal minerals.
County commissioners and other participants said the hands‑on format — including field visits, river floats and mine or facility tours — helps staffers better understand the tradeoffs of federal policy. The association trains commissioners on NEPA and other processes to improve local participation in planning. Commissioners told the committee the tour program has led to multiple invitations for Wyoming representatives to testify to Congress and has improved awareness among federal staff of local collaborations and constraints.
Why it matters: The tours are designed to influence federal understanding and decision‑making by giving staffers direct exposure to Western issues, from migration corridors to mining and energy development.
Next steps: The association is planning its next tour in western Wyoming — Uinta, Lincoln, Sublette and Teton counties — and will continue a five‑year rotation covering the state.
