An individual lawmaker could sponsor a bill urging the state to look at the topic. But Bebout called the issue “done.”

“If I made the decision to not advance those types of bills this session, that’s my decision,” he said. “I could be overridden. That’s the process.”

The constitutional amendment bill specified how the state would have managed the lands. For instance, the lands would have to be operated with multiple use in mind – accommodating hunters, anglers, energy companies, agricultural interests and others.

Lands could be exchanged, according to Senate Joint Resolution 3, but only in the same county. There could have been no net loss or gain in the lands’ value.

A coalition called Keep it Public, composed of more than a dozen nonprofits, sportsmen and conservation groups, mobilized the public to voice opposition to the amendment. It launched in Casper at a November rally and organized a social media campaign to notify people how to participate and inform lawmakers of their position, said Chamois Andersen of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

Outdoor recreationists attended meetings in droves, submitted local letters to the editor and met with lawmakers to express their opposition.