Thursday, April 2, 2026 |
Photo – Protect Wyoming logo – Courtesy Protect Wyoming web page (protectwyoming.org)
A new political action committee (PAC) called Protect Wyoming was formed in December 2025 to support candidates who protect public lands and oppose those seeking to sell them off or privatize wildlife.
Led by Chairman Zach Lentsch of Cody and Treasurer Chris Allen of Clearmont, the non-partisan group aims to educate voters on state legislative candidates’ records regarding public land and wildlife management, particularly ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Protect Wyoming PAC is focused on state-level politics and does not plan to engage in congressional races. The organization emphasizes transparency, stating it is not funded by special interests and that all work is voluntary.
Key concerns driving the PAC include:
- Efforts to transfer federal public lands to state control, which the group argues threatens conservation and outdoor recreation.
- Privatization of wildlife, such as through landowner hunting tags.
- Declining voter turnout, especially among hunters and anglers who use public lands but do not vote in primary elections.
- Alleged anti-public lands voting records among some current Wyoming legislators, including Park County’s entire state delegation.
Protect Wyoming PAC opposes specific legislation and efforts related to the transfer, sale, or privatization of public lands and wildlife in Wyoming.
The lobbying group opposes any privatization of wildlife, especially through transferrable landowner hunting tags, which the PAC views as monetizing wildlife for private profit and undermining the North American Model of Wildlife Management.
