SWEETWATER COUNTY — Members of the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners assisted with a congressional tour of the area recently, attempting to educate congressional staff members about the unique landscape in Sweetwater County, as well as the challenges the county faces.

The tour was hosted by the Wyoming County Commissioners Association and featured 14 senior congressional staffers split evenly between Republicans and Democrats working for members of both the house and senate. Many of the staffers work for legislators who serve on energy, environmental, and land use policy. The group toured central and southwestern Wyoming, spending a day in Sweetwater County.

The tour was mentioned during the commissioners’ comments portion of Tuesday’s commissioners meeting.

“Most of them have never seen Wyoming beyond a vacation in Jackson or Yellowstone,” Commissioner Island Richards said. “For them, this was their very first real look at the Wyoming we live in and the industries that sustain us.”

Richards said the congressional staffers help shape decisions that impact Sweetwater County’s economy and county policy makers had a chance to show the staffers what the county is.

Richards said they had a chance to talk about the Red Desert and the Bureau of Land Management’s regulations that impact and can complicate how people use federal lands. The group also visited Seedskadee Wildlife Refuge, where staff at the refuge explained the history and challenges the refuge faces.

The group went to the known sodium leasing area, where Richards said he explained the economic benefits the area provides to the county, state, and nation.

“It was interesting how many of them didn’t even know what trona is,” he said.

The group went to the Sisecam facility and received an explanation about the soda ash industry and a tour of the mine. Later that evening, the group had a chance to learn about the Greenbelt Trail System, and received a tour of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

The next day focused on the area’s coal industry and the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan. The group then traveled to Carbon County. Richards said the WCCA plans to follow up by sending the congressional staffers a yearbook of photos and contact information from the tour and will host a dinner with the group at next year’s National Association of Counties conference.

Other Commissioner Business

The commissioners approved a request to appoint a special prosecutor from Sublette County. Chief Deputy Prosecuting and County Attorney John DeLeon said these requests come when the county attorney’s office has a case that can either have the appearance of a conflict of interests or an actual conflict. County Attorney Dan Erramouspe will then ask another county attorney to possibly prosecute the case at no cost to the county. In those situations, the county commissioners are required to approve the request.

A request to purchase firewalls and hardware from Advance Networking Management was approved by commissioners for $108,926.50 plus shipping costs, and professional services agreement with 954 Consulting for $15,160.