A proposed land exchange between the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners and Bonander Ranches, LLC is set to pose a significant loss of public land access for Wyoming sportsmen and hunters, according to a growing number who oppose the swap.

According to the detailed analysis report posted on the Office of State Lands and Investments website, Rick Bonander, owner of Windy Peaks Ranch, has proposed to trade 295 acres of Moskee lands within the Black Hills Forest, located in Crook County, for 1,040.67 acres of land located in the Laramie Peak area of Albany County, more specifically within elk hunt area 7 south of Douglas.

If acquired, Wyoming’s hunters and recreationists face losing access to more than 4,000 acres of public land located in Albany County, according to Jeff Muratore, Casper board member of the Wyoming Chapter of Back Country Hunters & Anglers (BHA).

“If it were an even trade access between the Moskee land and the Laramie Range, the board could consider supporting it,” Muratore said. “(However,) land trades are forever and this is a quality place to hunt that will be (essentially)landlocked forever” if the trade goes through. Sportsmen will lose walk-in access to this public land that is “prime elk and deer country” for hunters.

Although the state is in the process of trying to consolidate land and the Black Hills land is good for mineral processes, valued at more than three times as much as the land around Laramie Peak, it is a “lopsided trade” in Mutatore’s opinion because it is being evaluated on a scale of “value to value” rather than “acre to acre for elk hunting.”

He argued that the problem is the 295 acres of Bonander land does not offer access to the part of elk area #7 that will be affected, therefore, the only gain for the public will be having access to the 295 acres of Moskee land in Crook County.

“It’s not a quality exchange because (the Moskee land is) mainly home to white tail deer and wild turkey,” Muratore said. “Hunting and fishing are a big part of Wyoming, especially when it comes to tourism and recreation, which brings a lot of money into the state. The number one reason people don’t hunt or fish . . . is because of access to land.”

Assistant Director for the Office of State Lands and Investments Jason Crowder said Bonander had applied for several types of land transfers. This exchange was chosen because it met the trust plan management objectives, thus it could move forward with the analysis and appraisal of the proposed land trade. In order of importance, the objectives are revenue and value to the state; efficiency to manage the property; and effect on community need, as well as benefit to public recreation.

The Office of State Lands and Investments is “pursuing” this exchange “mainly because it’s a benefit to the trust land objective” and “because of the value potential of lands in the Moskee area to appreciate,” Crowder said.

Area hunters have taken to social media to share concerns that if the land exchange goes through, there will be less access in elk hunt area 7. They are actively trying to spread the word about it.

“Some ranchers in the area are nice enough to let people come in and hunt,” Glenrock resident Shawn Pittman said, “but there are a lot of elk tags drawn in this area, and the more area that is closed to public access, the more hunters you have on top of each other.”

Under this exchange, the alternative hunting choices would be to hunt in other areas throughout the state, such as around Cody or Jackson, or to choose not to hunt at all, he said. For those who draw tags in area #7, this is a frustrating problem.

“It only takes a little bit of private land to lose access to a whole lot of public land,” he said. “As a voter and a taxpayer, I think it’s wrong.”

For Glenrock resident and BHA member Rodger White, “making this land inaccessible is where the real loss is.” Although White has heard good things about Bonander, including that he is an avid outdoorsman himself and a great person, “I don’t see how it’s in the state’s best interest to give up this much land. A large portion of the state’s money comes from outdoorsmen.”

If the state trades this land, “they are losing an opportunity to make revenue,” he said. In addition, White seconds the frustration that this exchange will condense use.

“Moving everybody into a smaller area is not only dangerous to hunters but is also not healthy for the herds of deer and elk,” he said.

An open meeting in regards to this exchange will be held at the Albany County Library in Laramie on Sept. 26 at 5:30 p.m.

In addition, a 60-day public comment period is underway and ends Oct. 5. The Office of State Lands and Investments staff will propose its recommendation, in combination with a compilation of all public comments at the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners meeting, which is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 in Cheyenne.

Rick Bonander could not be reached for comment.