Around the 307
News, commentary, and other items of interest from the greater Wyoming landscape.
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Here are a few Wyoming news items of interest from the week of February 23rd, 2025:
On Tuesday, February 25th, stories appeared in a number of Wyoming news outlets (such as this one from Wyoming Public Media) describing an abrupt about-face by the United States Postal Service (USPS) on its 2024 decision to move the last mail-processing centers in Casper and Cheyenne out of state. The USPS “Delivering for America” plan would have shifted Wyoming mail processing to Billings Montana and Denver Colorado respectively. (I previously reported on this debacle-of-a-plan in my April 24, 2024 Around the 307 post.) The USPS change-of-heart on the fate of our Cowboy State facilities was announced by press release as being “made possible due to a proposed operational strategy aimed at increasing efficiency, improving service quality, and saving USPS an additional $3 billion per-year nationwide.” Hmm—sounds a lot like what the “Delivering for America” plan was supposed to do. Welp, I’m still happy to know that at least for the time being some of our Wyoming mail won’t have to travel to the Centennial State or the Treasure State before ultimately getting delivered.
Thursday, February 27th, United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins appointed Tom Schultz as the 21st chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS). (USDA oversees the USFS.) Schultz is a University of Wyoming (UW) graduate with stellar land-use management experience across multiple western states. As head of the USFS Schultz will be responsible for leadership and mission accomplishment at the agency to include federal forest management, research and development, and wildland firefighting. First established in 1905, today the USFS manages 154 national forests and 20 grasslands across 43 states. Read more about the new USFS Chief in this USDA press release and also check out this article published by Cowboy State Daily.
And, on Friday, February 28th—They finally did it! After much wrangling and haggling both the House and Senate of the Wyoming Legislature passed the much debated bill known as Senate File 69 (SF 69) Homeowner property tax exemption. [Read the final text of the bill and current status here.] In its present form, now headed to Governor Gordon’s desk for approval, SF 69 will provide a 25% property tax exemption (starting in 2025) on up to $1 million dollars of fair market value for residential structures and improved land. Beginning in 2026, this exemption extends only to owner-occupied homes (meaning the home must be occupied at least 8-months out of the year; there is an exception for this requirement for deployed military personnel). Even better, the 25% cut in SF 69 has no sunset date. And, one final note—there’s no double-dipping on this one folks, meaning if a resident already qualifies for the 50% long-term homeowner exemption passed in 2024 they can’t pile on SF 69’s 25% exemption too. If signed by the governor or allowed to become law without Gordon’s signature, SF 69 would be effective immediately. So, what do you think the governor will do this time given he vetoed the 25% property tax cut presented to him by the legislature in last year’s session? I know I don’t want to see a repeat of that film. Stay tuned!
Lastly—here are a few Wyoming historical events (some well known, others obscure) that occurred during the month of February.
February 15th, 1869—First Laramie school opened.
This may not be the first Laramie school, however, this photograph taken in 1883 depicts the West Side School in Laramie, Wyoming. [Photo credit: UW American Heritage Center.] February 22nd, 1897—President Grover Cleveland establishes the forest reserve that became Black Hills National Forest, covering large parts of what are now Crook and Weston counties.
February 15th, 1920—President Woodrow Wilson signs the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, establishing the modern systems of leasing oil and coal on federal lands, and enormously benefiting Wyoming state finances.
That’s all for today buckaroos! Thanks for reading and have a great week!
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