CHEYENNE — A plan gaining momentum in Wyoming would transfer 933 acres of Bureau of Land Management property surrounding Martin’s Cove to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a straight acreage-for-acreage land swap, proponents say. The deal, if accepted by federal lawmakers, would exchange the BLM land for two church-owned tracts totaling an equal 933 acres across two separate locations.
What the proposal would do
Under the effort led by a new nonprofit called Wyoming Friends for Martin’s Cove, the church would receive the BLM-managed parcel that encompasses the historic cove. In return, the public would get two LDS-owned properties: a 358-acre parcel along the Sweetwater River near Independence Rock and a 575-acre tract between Miller Springs and Savage Peak wilderness study areas.
| Parcel | Acres |
|---|---|
| BLM land around Martin’s Cove | 933 |
| Sweetwater River parcel (LDS-owned) | 358 |
| Miller Springs–Savage Peak parcel (LDS-owned) | 575 |
Why advocates say it matters
Supporters frame Martin’s Cove as a location of strong cultural and religious importance to members of the LDS church nationwide. The site marks a 1856 rendezvous in the Granite Mountains where a rescue party assisted hundreds of handcart-pulling emigrants caught in an October blizzard — an episode central to church history and commemoration.
“If you’re a member of the church and you’re growing up in Moscow, you’ve heard of it,” said Lloyd Larsen, a longtime state representative for Lander and an advocate for the swap, speaking July 6 while traveling toward the site.
“The efforts of the rescuers, it’s kind of the best of humanity,” Larsen said.
The group’s strategy is twofold: first win public support for the exchange, then press Congress to authorize the land trade so federal ownership can be transferred.
Controversy and context
Martin’s Cove has been the subject of historic controversy because it sits on public land administered by the BLM. Past attempts by the church to acquire or control the site prompted debate and at least one lawsuit, opponents contend, over access, interpretation and management of a place on federal land that draws visitors and pilgrims.
Organizers of the current push have already attracted notable backers in the state; the group's list of supporters includes several former Wyoming governors, according to the effort’s materials. That political backing underscores how the issue crosses cultural, recreational and land-management lines in Wyoming.
Practical implications for visitors and the public
Proponents say the swap would preserve public access while allowing the church to manage the cove more directly as a sacred site. Opponents and some public-land advocates have in past disputes argued that private ownership could alter access, preservation and interpretation of historic sites situated on formerly public ground.
- The land swap would require congressional approval because the BLM parcel is federal property.
- Supporters are pursuing public outreach first, then legislative action in Washington.
- The trade would be acreage-for-acreage: 933 acres for 933 acres.
As the campaign advances, the land trade will likely draw scrutiny from residents, recreation groups, federal land managers and lawmakers who weigh public access against religious and private stewardship. Any formal proposal would need to move through the BLM and Congress before ownership could change hands.
News Block will monitor developments as organizers seek broader public backing and potential legislative sponsors in Washington.
