Public Lands Topic Of Conference

Casper, WY – Public lands issues will get a lengthy look this week during a forum in Casper. The Wyoming Heritage Foundation and Wyoming Business Alliance will host "Public Lands: Get Out of the Rut" and Alliance President Bill Shilling says he's worked hard to get a vareity of personalities to try to sort through the issues. Shilling says what is interesting is that the viewpoint concerning lands in the west is changing. He says if you look at the demographic trends and changes in the west, attitudes and values about public lands and their usage have changed from what they were 15 or 20 years ago. Among the speakers will be Interior Secretary Gale Norton and U.S. Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth. The forum starts Thursday in Casper.