GILLETTE, Wyo. — Election season is well underway and County 17 has sent a list of questions to each candidate who has filed to run for office in contested races.
These questions are designed to give our readers a better understanding of the people behind the names on the ballot. All candidate responses submitted to County 17 are republished as they are received. County 17 solely made minor edits to the responses, for clarity. Minor edits may include correcting punctuation, capitalization or spelling.
Below, get to know B.J. Clark, who is running for a spot on the Campbell County Conservation District board.
- Please introduce yourself and describe your educational and employment history. Please include your name and hometown along with highlights of your past involvement in the Campbell County community.
I am B.J. Clark and I’m running for the Rural position on the Campbell County Conservation District Board. I’m a coal miner, licensed Realtor, and small ag producer. I was born and raised in Cheyenne but have lived in Campbell County since 1995. I have been elected two previous times to the CCCD. I currently sit on the Campbell County Predator Board and Campbell County Natural Resource and Land Use Board.
2. What prompted your decision to run for the conservation board? What do you see as your role on the board?
I decided to run for the Conservation District after being asked by several current board
members to run for the position. My role on the board would be to help provide
leadership and direction, using fiscal discretion. Most importantly, making sure our
producers and constituents get the services from the District that they need and want.
3. How do you plan to help your constituents through your role on the board? Please address rural and urban residents, energy and business development stakeholders, and ranchers.
The best way I can serve rural, urban, energy and business stakeholders, and ranchers is to remain fiscally conservative and make sure we are spending District funds as wisely as possible. By doing this, services to all constituents can continue without the need to assess a mill levy to provide District funds. Nobody wants to pay higher taxes and if the mill levy was applied, all constituents will pay higher taxes.
4. What do you think Campbell County’s biggest environmental and water quality
challenges are? What should the board’s priorities be?
Campbell County’s biggest environmental challenges come from the mineral industry
and the extraction of fossil fuels. Fortunately, the mines, oil & gas producers, and other
mineral producers are all very responsible in the extraction of these minerals while
following DEQ and EPA requirements and regulations. Campbell County’s biggest water
quality issues involve Donkey Creek and the Little Powder River. Both are still
considered “impaired” waterways by DEQ. The Board’s priorities should be the constant
monitoring and improvement projects of all waterways and land within Campbell County.
5. What would be the ideal relationship between the Bureau of Land Management and Campbell County?
The ideal relationship between BLM and Campbell County would be one where each
was viewed as a valued partner and both would work towards common goals on
projects. Sometimes this is difficult because of governmental bureaucracy and the
changing goals within federal agencies depending on the current administration
providing direction.
6. What’s one upcoming project the conservation district is planning to accomplish within the next few years that you think Campbell County residents should definitely know about? What’s your perspective on it?
One of the many projects CCCD continues to work on is water quality monitoring on
Donkey Creek and Little Powder River and the timber thinning projects in northern
Campbell County. I think both projects deserve continued support from the district and
constituents as these projects benefit all.
7. Is there anything else should voters know about you?
Voters should know that my priorities are God, family, and community, in that order. I am a fiscal conservative and believe in the idea that the less government involvement in our daily lives, usually the better. I greatly appreciate the support from voters and thank you for your vote November 8th!
