WBC and Governor’s Office host statewide listening session July 14 to gather local input on Wyoming’s Opportunity Zone 2.0 tract selections ahead of federal deadline.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The federal rules governing Opportunity Zones have changed significantly, and Wyoming’s tract selections need to change with them. On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM MDT, the Wyoming Business Council and the Office of Governor Mark Gordon will host a statewide virtual briefing and listening session to help local economic developers, community leaders, and investors understand what Opportunity Zone 2.0 means for their communities – and to make sure Wyoming’s final tract recommendations reflect real, local investment potential.
Registration is required. Sign up at: wbc.pub/OZWebinar2026
The federal 90-day tract nomination window opens July 1, 2026. Governor Gordon holds the statutory authority to submit Wyoming’s official census tract selections to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The September 28, 2026, submission deadline is firm, and this July 14 session is the first and most direct opportunity for Wyoming communities to shape that recommendation.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR YOUR COMMUNITY
Opportunity Zone (OZ) 2.0 isn’t just an update to the program – it changes which tracts qualify, how investments are structured, and which communities stand to benefit most. For Wyoming’s economic developers and community leaders, three things matter most:
- THE MAP IS CHANGING. Tighter federal income threshold requirements mean some tracts that qualified under OZ 1.0 no longer meet the criteria under OZ 2.0. Knowing whether your community’s tracts still qualify – and which new tracts may now be eligible – is the starting point for any local strategy.
- WYOMING HAS A RURAL ADVANTAGE. The new OZ 2.0 framework includes enhanced incentives specifically designed to benefit rural communities: a higher basis step-up and lower property rehabilitation thresholds than the original program. Wyoming communities are positioned to compete for investment in ways they weren’t before. But only if the right tracts are selected.
- YOUR INPUT SHAPES THE FINAL SELECTION. Governor Gordon’s team and WBC are not making these decisions from Cheyenne. The July 14 session is designed to gather real infrastructure data and economic priorities from local leaders across the state. The communities that show up and make the case for their tracts are the ones most likely to see those tracts in Wyoming’s final submission.
WHAT THE SESSION WILL COVER
- Program comparison: What changed from OZ 1.0 to the new permanent 10-year rolling cycle under OZ 2.0
- Eligibility review: Which Wyoming census tracts qualify under the new federal income threshold requirements
- The rural advantage: Enhanced incentives under OZ 2.0 that favor Wyoming communities
- Local listening: Infrastructure data, investment priorities, and project capacity from community leaders – the inputs that will shape Wyoming’s final submission to the Governor
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- County commissioners, mayors, and municipal staff
- Tribal leaders
- Local and regional economic development organizations
- Project sponsors with active or planned development in potential OZ tracts
- Private equity and real estate investors with Wyoming interests
WHEN AND HOW TO JOIN
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM MDT | Virtual via Zoom
Advance registration required: wbc.pub/OZWebinar2026
SESSION LEADS
- Connor Christensen, Economic Policy & Research Advisor, Wyoming Business Council
- Seth Ulvestad, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Mark Gordon
More information on Opportunity Zones 2.0 is available at the Wyoming Business Council Opportunity Zones Portal.
