Lummis visits Valley

The Valley hosted U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R - Wyoming) on Thursday as the junior senator toured restoration projects on the North Platte and Encampment Rivers and later spoke at the inaugural Platte Valley Expo.

Lummis witnessed firsthand projects where 22,000 linear feet of stream channel was restored and aquatic habitat enhanced.

She first visited the Ryan Ranch where restoration of a channel has reconnected 180 miles of fish habitat to the North Platter River. As if on cue, Lummis got to see a boat drift down the North Platte with two fishermen casting their lines into water trying their luck on the pleasant late morning.

After viewing the North Platte, Lummis went to Riverside and looked at a project on the Encampment River.

The senator was impressed with what she saw.

"This was such a good day," Lummis said. "As somebody who spent my young years ranching, irrigating, putting up hay, being out on the ground is such a delight. We got a beautiful day too."

Lummis was especially pleased to see the restoration because of her interest in fishing.

"I am a fisherman and to see the bank restoration projects that have augmented opportunities to keep topsoil out of the rivers and onto the land was inspiring," Lummis said. "This all helps to keep the fisheries healthy and supports the recovery in areas where the Forest Service had been measuring where there is blockage for the fish to migrate. Now that blockage has been removed."

Lummis pointed out irrigation construction was a part of the river restoration enhanced water levels and benefitted many.

"Water levels coming out of the Encampment River assist ranchers, fishermen, recreational participants and sightseers," Lummis said. "It also enhances water quality, so it is a total win-win situation which is really exciting."

When Lummis finished her tour of the river restoration projects, she headed to the Platte Valley Community Center for the Expo. After lunch she spoke to an audience of residents and students.

Lummis did take time out of her busy schedule to talk to the Sun.

First she was asked about the high cost of housing for residents, especially in tourist towns.

"Communities all over the state are tangling with this issue," Lummis said. "Not only is tourism driving up prices, but lumber has also skyrocketed, so new construction is very expensive."

She said even finding construction workers to build housing was a problem.

"A very large regional builder of homes recently pulled out of Cheyenne because of lumber prices and unavailability of people to build the houses," Lummis pointed out. "The housing inventory in other communities is stressing out towns like Casper, Sheridan and Cheyenne. I understand there is little inventory available in the Valley. It is a problem that is reaching the boiling point."

Lummis said she has met with the Wyoming Development Authority, which helps first time new home buyers and she they are aware of the problem and working on it.

"From a national perspective, I am on the committee on banking and urban development," Lummis said. "Housing falls under HUD (Housing and Urban Development) and most of those programs are focused on urban development, but not all of them. So when I get back to Washington on Monday I will be looking at what programs are available for rural housing development."

Lummis said an advantage of coming back to the state from Washington D.C. and spending time in state helps a congressperson see firsthand what is happening in communities and their concerns and how to address them.

The senator is aware of the recent attention Carbon County has received internationally and nationally since the April 4 New York Times article on wind projects rising out of coal country.

Since the story ran, Rawlins mayor Terry Weikum pointed out the interest by international and national media in where the closed coal mines are located that he has fielded in over 50 interviews. Because once mines are closed, the land must be reclaimed and there is little visual support to show where the mines were located.

Lummis sees this interest in the historical mines that have closed as a tourism opportunity.

"Looking at tourism opportunities that we as residents don't normally think of as tourism possibilities is what makes Wyoming special to visitors. I think the really high quality Wyoming office of Tourism is very responsive to these trends, once they are conscious of it," Lummis said. "Once people are aware this has become an interest for tourists, it helps those of us who live here and take it for granted, that its worth celebrating and developing as a tourist option."

Lummis did take some time to visit the expo and talk to attendees after she spoke, but she was on a schedule that required her to be back in Cheyenne. She did remark on here visit as she left.

"It was a great morning and afternoon," Lummis said. "I am so glad I came."