Who Owns the Open Range?

The Sagebrush Rebellion and the Wise Use movement were both major conservative backlashes against federal environmental regulation in the Western United States during the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Both of these movements went beyond the debates of land use and tapped into deeper societal frustrations about who gets control of public lands. The Sagebrush Rebellion and the Wise Use movement popularized political stances that came to be characteristic of the “New Right.” Some of these values included a skepticism of federal authority, an emphasis on decentralized government, a focus on appealing to the “common people,” and an overall pro-business and pro-market attitude.

The Sagebrush Rebellion, which began as a response to increasing federal control over public Western land, began in the late 1970s and lasted into the 1980s. The federal government had recently expanded environmental protections and reviews under laws like NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. For many people in rural Western states—especially those whose livelihoods depended on ranching, mining, or logging—this felt like the federal government was blindly making decisions without considering the needs or opinions of locals. Many individuals in the West saw the increase in wilderness designations as a threat to their economic survival. They were also concerned about their state autonomy: in general, the movement pushed for transferring federal lands to state control and leaned heavily on the “states’ rights” rhetoric. The rebellion received a boost when Ronald Reagan won the 1980 presidential election. On occasion, Reagan even referred to himself as a “sagebrush rebel,” and he appointed James Watt as Secretary of the Interior, which was seen as a clear sign that the federal government would cut back on environmental regulations. James Watt had strong ties to the rebellion and prioritized development over preservation—he was considered hostile toward environmentalism, the rebellion’s largest opponent. However, despite support from Reagan and Watt, the Sagebrush Rebellion struggled to get real policy wins. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club were effective in launching counter-campaigns, which painted the rebellion as being driven more by industry than grassroots concerns and in turn limited its broader appeal.

In the late 1980s and early ’90s, the Wise Use movement seemingly picked up where the Sagebrush Rebellion left off, just with a different strategy. While the rebellion focused on advocating for state government, the Wise Use movement revolved around individual rights. It aligned with populism in the sense that it claimed to speak for average citizens (people who wanted to use public lands for work, hunting, and recreation) and pushed back against what they saw as extreme environmental regulations. Groups like “People for the West!” called for protecting private property rights and local economies. They often centered their argument around portraying environmentalists as “out-of-touch urban elites.” Even while the movement was receiving significant funding from industries like logging and mining, it stayed focused on appearing community-based or grassroots.

Both movements had a significant influence on national politics. The fight over public land use and ownership helped politically shift the West to the right, and in doing so, it helped build the conservative base that supported Republican majorities in Congress during the Reagan and Bush years. These movements also reframed environmentalism as part of a broader culture war—something that conservatives could rally together against. By emphasizing individual freedom, property rights, and economic opportunity, the Sagebrush Rebellion and Wise Use movement deepened political divides surrounding environmental issues and helped define the values of the New Right.