Alan Rogers

Alan joined the Outdoor Council in January 2020 after spending 15 years as a journalist – including eight years as an editor for the Casper Star-Tribune – and earning a master’s degree in professional media from Southern Illinois University. He grew up bouncing around the country, and his fondest memories include peering up at giant redwoods in California, digging snow caves in New England, and hiking everywhere in between. He took up backpacking in earnest during high school and his experiences on the trail instilled in him a sense of urgency to conserve our remaining wild places. Years of wandering Wyoming’s public lands only strengthened that resolve. Now, he’s proud to support the Outdoor Council’s efforts to protect the state’s most precious resources. Alan spends as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors: whether it be camping, hunting, cross country skiing, or simply tending to his vegetable garden and backyard chickens. He and his family live in Casper.

Field Notes: September updates from the Wyoming Outdoor Council

Posted on by Alan Rogers
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.6.0″ _module_preset=”default”]

FROM THE LEGISLATURE: Without any public disclosure that the topic would be discussed, and after public comment had closed, a Wyoming legislative committee decided September 11 to once again consider legislation that could effectively kill the state’s rooftop solar industry by changing our net metering law. Why does this sound vague? Because the committee never defined the content of the bill nor had a draft bill on the agenda. We’ll be discussing this topic at our next Conservation Cafeteria session, 12 p.m. Wednesday, October 7 on Zoom. Watch for an upcoming email to register.


LEASING PAUSED IN GROUSE HABITAT: The Bureau of Land Management has deferred all parcels in Greater sage-grouse habitat management areas from Wyoming’s upcoming oil and gas lease sale. This came in response to a federal court ruling early this summer that determined the BLM had failed to prioritize leasing outside core habitat as required by 2015 land management plan revisions. The Wyoming Outdoor Council formally protested the September sale, which originally included all parcels from a postponed June sale and more than 330,000 acres of sage-grouse habitat.

Also in the past weeks, Outdoor Council staff submitted a protest of a Converse County oil and gas project that has the potential to destroy sage-grouse leks and harm hawk, falcon, and owl populations.


TETON COUNTY WATER QUALITY: In the continued effort to protect drinking water in Jackson Hole, the Outdoor Council took several steps in recent weeks to guide county officials toward more effective regulations. First, we submitted detailed recommendations on water quality protections that should be included in Teton County’s Comprehensive Plan, which is currently being updated. These include modernized regulations for small wastewater facilities, requiring septic system inspections when property is bought and sold, providing incentives for homeowners to connect to existing sewer lines, creating a management plan to address the high levels of recreational use on rivers and lakes, and establishing a water quality database. We have also proposed a new rule that would require the Teton County Public Health Department to notify the public when elevated levels of nitrates are detected in any of the county’s 114 public water systems, investigate the source of the pollution, and require remedial action if necessary.

 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Field Notes: August updates from the Wyoming Outdoor Council

Posted on by Alan Rogers

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]

WASTEWATER PLANNING: The Teton County Commissioners have approved funding to begin crafting a comprehensive wastewater management plan. The Wyoming Outdoor Council advocated for this important step toward addressing nitrate pollution in the area’s groundwater and our partner organization Protect Our Water Jackson Hole is contributing half the cost of the planning effort, up to $250,000.

TETON COUNTY CREEKS: The Teton County Board of Health has placed signs at public access points along Fish and Flat creeks, warning tubers and anglers about high levels of harmful bacteria in the water. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality listed all of Fish Creek and a portion of Flat Creek as “impaired” by E. coli earlier this year, meaning the water isn’t considered safe for swimming. The Outdoor Council is working toward solutions to address this dangerous condition.

CONVERSE COUNTY OIL AND GAS PROJECT: We are preparing to file a protest of the final environmental impact statement for a 5,000 well oil and gas project in Converse County and related amendments to a federal land use plan. If approved, the alternative selected by the Bureau of Land Management would waive existing protections for hawks and falcons, and potentially wipe out dozens of sage-grouse leks.

ENERGY TRANSITION: We recently submitted comments to the Wyoming Public Service Commission on Rocky Mountain Power’s Integrated Resource Plan, which seeks to add new wind and solar energy generation in Wyoming and other Western states as coal-fired plants are retired over the coming years. We urged the PSC to work with Rocky Mountain Power to prepare for changes to the energy economy and develop transition plans for affected coal workers and communities.

 

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Wyoming law student puts passion to work as Outdoor Council intern

Posted on by Alan Rogers

Ryan Sedgeley didn’t take the traditional path to law school. Instead, the Colorado native studied photojournalism in Denver, worked at a newspaper on the Oregon coast while living as part of an intentional community, and spent most of the last eight years in and around national parks. 

Ryan — the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s 2020 summer legal intern — is now studying law at the University of Wyoming, and working concurrently toward a master’s degree in environment and natural resources through UW’s Haub School. The willingness to forge his own path may come in handy this fall, as he transitions to online and hybrid classes due to COVID-19.

“I’ll be doing it all online, which has the double benefit of me being able to stay here with my wife and not having to be long distance again,” Ryan said. “Though I’m really dreading 17 credit hours over Zoom.”

Ryan’s wife Nicole is a full-time interpretive ranger in Yellowstone National Park, where the couple currently lives at Madison Junction. Ryan worked as a seasonal ranger himself in 2016, and has volunteered for the park service every summer since about 2012. His upcoming master’s thesis will focus on the Yellowstone bison herd’s migration between the park and Paradise Valley, Montana.

Over the summer, Ryan has worked hand in hand on public lands issues with Outdoor Council conservation advocate John Rader. His first major contribution was researching tribal consultation related to the draft environmental impact statement for the Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative, which seeks to designate a 2,000-mile pipeline right-of-way across the state. 

“The [Bureau of Land Management] is supposed to consult with different Native American tribes on pretty much everything, and have an ongoing relationship with the tribes … and obviously that’s not the case right now,” Ryan said. “In particular with this project, they seemed to really gloss over any kind of engagement with the tribes. They sent out one letter.”

Once the Outdoor Council submitted public comment on the pipeline project, Ryan shifted gears to research the potential impacts of a federal land use plan in southwest Wyoming. Specifically, he’s looked into areas of critical environmental concern, tribal consultation, and how the plan may align with local and state laws. 

After graduating from UW he hopes to stay involved with issues related to bison, or working toward policies that help atone for America’s history of taking lands from Indigenous people. 

“I really just want to have work that is meaningful and makes the world, ideally, a little better or heals some past harms,” Ryan said. “I love the idea of working with our public lands. I’ve been living in and around them my whole life, especially the last eight years in national parks, so those are near and dear to my heart, as are Indigenous issues.”

He and Nicole hope to settle down in the greater Yellowstone region permanently. 

“It’s the place that feels like home to us,” Ryan said. 

The Outdoor Council currently has three attorneys on staff — executive director Lisa McGee, senior conservation advocate Dan Heilig, and John Rader — and offers a legal internship each summer. Lisa and John both started their Outdoor Council careers as interns.

Filling in the connection gap left in the wake of COVID-19

Posted on by Alan Rogers

One day in mid-March, all of us on the Wyoming Outdoor Council staff found ourselves sitting at home. The safest thing to do was to stop all work-related travel and work remotely rather from the Lander office. Our office remained open a few hours a day for our administrative staff (thank you Maureen and Misti) to process mail, pay bills, and acknowledge new and renewing memberships, but things had changed. 

Like you, we stayed awake at night worrying about the health of our vulnerable family members and friends. We tried to make sense of a rapidly evolving global pandemic while facing new, everyday challenges, like kids who could no longer go to school or how to safely get groceries. Overall, we did our best to stay positive. 

Fortunately, most of our work continued from home offices, but other aspects — holding public events, attending legislative and state agency meetings, getting together with members and partners — evaporated overnight, and we were left wondering how to fill that gap. It quickly became apparent this situation wasn’t going to resolve itself anytime soon, and after just a few days of self-isolation our staff was eager to connect with one another and our members. 

The first step was the easiest. 

Even in normal times, the Outdoor Council offers a variety of trainings and resources for citizens who want to be better informed about conservation issues in Wyoming and empowered to participate in public processes that affect our public lands, wildlife, and environmental quality. We’d already planned to bring our citizen outreach and engagement work under a single banner, and took the opportunity this spring to launch FIELD: Fostering Impact through Environmental Leadership Development.

We dove in headfirst with a brand-new offering: a continuing series of video lessons for kids and teenagers that we dubbed Live from the FIELD. In each installment, students had the opportunity to learn from a Wyoming expert, then participate in a live Q&A session over Zoom. We heard about mule deer, big game migration, and wildlife ecology from University of Wyoming research scientists Samantha Dwinell and Rhiannon Jakopak, wildlife disease from Hank Edwards of Wyoming’s Wildlife Health Laboratory, the sagebrush ecosystem from Gina Clingerman of the Bureau of Land Management, and healthy streams from fly fishing guide and longtime member George Hunker. When we noticed many adults were tuning in as well, we took a bigger creative risk and put together a live, online variety show about the National Environmental Policy Act.

Was there an occasional technical difficulty? Of course. Was using a fireside monologue, game show-style trivia, and puppets to explain federal environmental law a bit corny? Maybe. But the response these events elicited showed us that people in Wyoming are eager to learn and excited to engage in new ways. If you missed the sessions, you can find recordings on our YouTube channel.

The next step was slightly more daunting. 

What was to become of our flagship conservation leadership program — the newly renamed FIELD Training — if we couldn’t assemble the eight weeks of class meetings in person? As was so often the case during the first months of the pandemic, taking the program online was the solution. This proved to be as much of a benefit as it was a hurdle. Nothing compares to a face-to-face conversation, but delving into remote learning allowed many people from around the state to participate. How else could a dozen passionate citizens from communities as far-flung as Lusk, St. Stephens, Alpine, and Wapiti all get together for twice-weekly workshops? 

It was evident from the start that the value of engaging with people through these online platforms went far beyond a temporary workaround. It’s not a perfect solution, but in this big, sparsely populated, mostly rural state, it’s a step toward bringing us all a little closer together. It’s our intention that these online offerings will continue and expand. 

The past months have shown us new opportunities to reach people in Wyoming who care about conservation, and strengthen the type of community building we’ve always done. We’re proud to have a resourceful and energetic staff that can adapt and react quickly. And none of this would be possible without the unwavering support of members like you who took a chance with us and tuned in, demonstrating your commitment to protect Wyoming’s environment and quality of life. Thank you. When the next unexpected challenge arises, as it inevitably will, we’ll rise up to meet it together. 

FIELD Training Profile: Yufna Soldier Wolf

Posted on by Alan Rogers

No matter how much Yufna Soldier Wolf insists she has more to learn about advocating for her community, her work already speaks for itself. 

Yufna is the former director of the Northern Arapaho Tribal Historic Preservation Office, where she worked for 12 years. During her time with the office, she was responsible for repatriating the remains of three Northern Arapaho children — Little Chief, Horse, and Little Plume — to the Wind River Reservation from the site of a government boarding school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania where they died in the late 1800s. More recently she’s been doing consulting work related to environmental policy, preservation of cultural resources, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, as well as Arapaho history. 

Yufna grew up in St. Stephens,  located just outside Riverton on the reservation, as the youngest of 10 children. She now has three kids of her own and lives in the house her father built, which is fitting given that she’s walking in his footsteps. 

Mark Soldier Wolf, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 90, was Yufna’s introduction to dealing with tribal cultural resources and land management issues. Before the Northern Arapaho Tribe had an official historic preservation officer, he filled that role and a young Yufna was there to help. She quickly came up to speed on Section 106 — a portion of the National Historic Preservation Act that requires federal agencies to consider impacts on cultural sites and artifacts — and other policies. 

“Him being older, he didn’t really know computers or all this other stuff, so I’d be sitting there helping him read an [environmental impact statement] or an [environmental assessment],” Yufna said. “And I was in high school.”

Yufna has degrees from Montana State University and the University of Wyoming, and is currently taking courses at UW with her eye on another diploma. At the same time, she’s transitioned from student to teacher, sharing the traditional knowledge passed down by her parents through speaking engagements and her consulting work. 

And, this summer, she decided to venture down a new path of learning when she heard about FIELD Training, the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s conservation leadership program. It’s a natural fit for Yufna, whose career has been based largely around stewarding tribal lands and cultural resources — and focusing on “things that are important to me that, if I didn’t do them, probably would never have gotten done.”

Even though she has served as a Fremont County historic preservation commissioner, Yufna felt her experience in county and state government didn’t match her familiarity with the tribal and federal levels. Now, she’s expanding her comfort zone in FIELD Training, WOC’s free eight-week program designed to give engaged citizens the skills they need to be effective advocates for conservation in their communities. This year’s curriculum centers around public lands and covers the basics of Wyoming government and policymaking through the process of creating and carrying out a grassroots campaign. 

For a small group project, Yufna and several other participants opted to research renewable energy development. Just like the state of Wyoming, she points out, the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes rely heavily on oil and gas severance taxes for revenue and need to be prepared for a future with lower prices or less demand. 

“Education, healthcare, roads, maintenance … you name it, it’s going to be impacted. So that’s why we’re going to talk about renewable energy and how it can be incorporated into land use.”

As a tribal member, Yufna says public lands carry a special significance. 

“That’s where we came from, that’s who we are. Just being able to connect to areas that are special or sacred to us is important. I think that’s why I work as hard as I do with these various entities and land issues. Land is the biggest resource we have.”

Yufna Soldier Wolf

She isn’t sure where the future will take her, but she hopes to use her experiences to make sure Indigenous voices are heard at all levels of government, educate tribal members in Wyoming and elsewhere about the tribal impacts of county and state policies — like taxation and voting law — and encourage people to “help Wyoming be the best, most successful state we can be.”

Intern Diary: An incredible week of learning at the Wyoming Legislature

Posted on by Alan Rogers

It all started on a Sunday at the Equality State Policy Center’s SHAPE training, a program aimed at empowering citizens to engage with Wyoming politics. It offers ideas, skills, strategies, and tactics for advocating, not just at the Wyoming State Legislature, but anywhere. This material proved useful, as I was scheduled to begin my work with Wyoming Outdoor Council folks, including Steff Kessler, Kristen Gunther, and Mike Kusiek, the next day. 

I stayed in Cheyenne at the WOC house, which gave me the ability to focus completely on the experience and work without the worry of commuting. Staying together also gave us time to debrief in the evening and strategize in the morning. Hearing how these veterans thought about and processed their day gave me a great deal of insight into how to organize my own experience and to interpret what I was seeing and hearing. While I was focusing on different bills any given day, in many ways each day had a similar rhythm. There were often committee meetings before the House or Senate began, so that was the time to testify, if it was appropriate, as well as listen to the front line deliberation. 

I greatly appreciated when Steff or Kristen clarified background information about a representative or an issue that was not clear from the first hearing. Much of the rest of my days were spent listening to the House or Senate debates while attempting to draw out a lawmaker in order to offer them a bit more information or perspective on an upcoming vote. Sometimes there were evening committee meetings or informal gatherings where I met legislators and offered warm words or thank yous. I had the opportunity to meet my House representative at one such dinner, something that surely would not have happened otherwise. I also felt confident enough to walk up to my senator and introduce myself since I had a context in which to engage him.  

I was amazed by the array of bills addressed during a session, and gained an appreciation for the effort that our legislators voluntarily put in for weeks. I also gained a great deal of respect for the work that lobbyists and advocates do for the legislators. Legislators do not have staff and often can read about the upcoming bills only shortly before a vote. Having well-informed advocates to do some of the research for the legislator is actually important; and thus, gaining a good reputation and rapport is crucial for good relationships with legislators.

On Wednesday of my internship week, I did not have any particular task in front of me and decided to see what the Senate Minerals committee was reviewing. There were two bills, HB 4, Wyoming coal marketing program, and HB 3, Wyoming energy authority – amendments. HB 4 proposed that a program be established to market Wyoming’s coal and address some of the monetary impacts faced by communities as the coal market changes. It was a modest amount of money, and, as such, seemed like not much of a help — for either idea. I had not spoken in a committee meeting before and was a bit nervous. However, the chair, Sen. Anderson, was gracious and humorous as I made a comment about the small amount of money for something like international marketing and perhaps it would be best to simply focus on assisting impacted communities.  The bill passed committee with only the chair against.

Emboldened by my “success” at my first attempt to speak, I also decided to speak up on HB 3 — a bill meant to clarify some language and authority about public utilities, including creating a “Wyoming energy authority” board. I was curious as to the description of the board members. It stated that of the seven members, two had to be knowledgeable in the field of energy but an additional two had to be specifically knowledgeable of oil and gas issues. It struck me that that amendment stacked the board towards oil and gas, so I asked that specific question. Sen. Anderson suggested that, yes, the oil and gas folks were concerned that they would not be represented. However, my question was taken up by Sen. Rothfuss who said he had the same question and pursued the conversation further. Again, the bill passed the committee as written.

However, two things happened after the committee adjourned that were quite satisfying, especially as this was the first time I had spoken in a committee hearing. Sen. Anderson stopped to say thank you and that he had agreed with me that HB 4 seemed like “too little, too late,” which was why he voted against it. Then Sen. Rothfuss also stopped to thank me for my question as it was obvious he had similar concerns. Speaking in the committee was a great experience as Sen. Anderson was so supportive, and it was also really wonderful to have the senators make a point of thanking me for my input. I am now ready to tackle my next committee meeting knowing I will be heard and perhaps can even start a conversation among the committee members. 

It was a pure delight to be in the Capitol building. It is a beautiful structure with frescoes, floor tile designs, lovely wooden balconies, and high windows  I took some time to wander around, in and out of some offices, so I could see more of the building. I ran into a longtime employee who gave me an unofficial tour of all the small and large rooms with painted vault doors; we both wondered what would have been in each. Even the tunnel with the committee meeting rooms was nicely done with lots of natural light from the skylights. Coming to the Capitol in the early morning as the sun was just hitting the building was lovely, and I had to take photos of the edifice in the sun.  

In the end, I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the Outdoor Council’s legislative internship program. I learned a great deal about the Wyoming Legislature, the role and importance of advocacy, and some about myself as well. I am much more likely to engage civically in the future and have a better idea of how to actually be useful in that role.

— Elizabeth Traver, Laramie, Legislative Intern 2020

Elizabeth Traver is a lab manager in the University of Wyoming’s Center for Environmental Hydrology and Geophysics, as well as a doctoral student in soil science. She was one of the Outdoor Council’s five citizen interns during the Wyoming Legislature’s 2020 budget session.

A warm welcome to two new Outdoor Council staff

Posted on by Alan Rogers

This winter we were thrilled to bring Michael Kusiek into the fold as our new engagement director. In that capacity, he’ll work on building relationships with members, the public, and community organizations, as well as spearheading conservation efforts in the Red Desert. He most recently worked for the Outdoor Council on a contractual basis and has over 25 years of experience in health care education and public lands issues. He currently serves on the boards of the Lander Community Foundation and Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

Another welcome addition to the staff is Alexandria Beyer, a native of Wisconsin with a background in outdoor education. Before coming to the Outdoor Council she spent five years as a grant writer, a skill she’s now putting to use as our new development associate. She also worked as a canoe guide in Canada and as an outdoor educator in the San Juan Islands.

We took a few moments to ask them a little about their backgrounds, their experiences in the great outdoors, and what brought them to the Outdoor Council.

What do you love about the outdoors? 

ALEXANDRIA: I love everything about the outdoors — that’s where I feel curious, connected, mystified, peaceful, rooted, and inspired. I feel held and supported in nature, no matter what the weather and no matter where I am. Nature is my wise teacher and honest companion. I just love everything about being outside.

MICHAEL: Growing up, my best friend’s home had the Black Hills National Forest as his backyard; we spent every day after school there. Since then I’ve always felt more at home in the woods than anywhere else. The smell of a lodgepole pine after it has been basking in the sun all day or of sagebrush after a good rain; the view of Wind River Peak when you finally top out on Roaring Fork Pass, and the beautiful cacophony of the Popo Agie River as it cuts through and rushes down Sinks Canyon — these things are what I love about the outdoors.

Any favorite memories? 

ALEXANDRIA: I paddled with a group of youth for three summers in Lake of the Woods, Canada. There were crackling fires, loon songs, pelicans, miles of endless water, over 14,000 islands, gorgeous wild bogs, portages that tested every ounce of my strength, the sound of the paddle dipping and swinging through the water, beautiful outcroppings of granite, and swimming whenever we felt like it. It was just an incredible experience. And what’s more, I had the privilege of sharing this with a group of insightful and curious youth who were often experiencing these things for the very first time.

MICHAEL: Backcountry motorcycle tours are a wonderful way to see wide-open spaces. One of my favorite moments occurred while riding Yampa Bench Road between Craig, Colorado, and Dinosaur National Monument. I was riding through this rugged high desert with giant, sweeping vistas and suddenly, as I turned north, this shocking drop in the road was backlit with vermillion, grey, and white rock formations that came seemingly from out of nowhere. But honestly, every day and any day that I’m in the woods is packed with spectacular memories.

What drew you to conservation work, and to WOC in particular?

ALEXANDRIA: I’ve always sought work that brings people and conservation together. So when I moved to Lander earlier this year and learned that WOC was hiring, I was over the moon for the opportunity. I am grateful to wake up every day knowing that my time and energy are going toward conservation and public lands. 

MICHAEL: In my opinion, the Wyoming Outdoor Council sits atop the list of conservation groups in Wyoming.  Since discovering WOC in the pages of High Country News 20 years ago, it has been clear that WOC leads the charge in making sure Wyoming values live on. I want to contribute to the clean air and water, healthy wildlife, and beautiful landscapes that make Wyoming so wonderful.

What do you want to accomplish in the coming year? 

ALEXANDRIA: Nature is home. As a writer, I have the ability to speak out for people who care about the outdoors, but the best way I can protect it is to inspire others to do the same.

MICHAEL: We are working on protecting important landscapes throughout Wyoming, in particular the Red Desert.  I want to continue to foster awareness for this unique and quintessentially Wyoming place. I believe when folks see special places like the Red Desert, something inside them speaks to them, and almost encourages them to work to protect it. I want to create more moments like that for people.

Why are you excited about the future of conservation in Wyoming?

ALEXANDRIA: Change is a constant, but Wyomingites’ love for their state is also constant. Love and change are great allies in conservation. Undoubtedly, the future is bright.

MICHAEL: People in Wyoming have always cared about the core issues WOC works on every day — and I see more and more energy around protecting those values every day, too. Wyoming people from every background unite in their care for our state.

LUCAS SCHWANDT: Wyoming needs leaders

Posted on by Alan Rogers

After growing up in South Dakota and serving in the Marine Corps, I got my first brush with the beautiful state of Wyoming. Since then, I have been a carpenter in Cody, a gunsmith in Meeteetse and a student in Lander. During my time here, I’ve fallen in love with Wyoming. I’ve spent time hiking, biking, climbing, and skiing. I’ve spent even more time forming relationships with the wonderful people who live here. Now, as a 30-year-old, I am ready to settle down and start a life somewhere. I’m not sure, however, if Wyoming can be — or is — that place. For the time being, I have decided to stay and try to make it work, but just a few weeks ago, I wasn’t so sure.

Like too many others my age, I struggle to see a future here. From the outside, it appears as if Wyoming cannot even see a future for itself. Why is this? Why has no one articulated a future for Wyoming other than simply doubling down on declining extractive industries?

Humans have evolved to hunt. We seek out opportunity and we take aim. We aim by looking, assessing the landscape and choosing our target. As a species, we are quite good at this. So, as a state, what are we aiming for? Is our way forward really going to be business as usual, or that popular definition of insanity — doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Surely, this cannot be the road map for Wyoming’s future.

We are a state, in a country, on a continent, on a planet. One planet. Earth. We are global citizens with a responsibility to ourselves, each other, and our home. I’ve been looking at the landscape, along with the rest of my generation, and I see insect populations crashing, topsoil and glaciers disappearing, sea levels rising, and a climate that is unquestionably changing. Technology is still on a near-vertical trajectory, and the value of big data is starting to eclipse that of almost all other things. To me it seems like as a state, we are the last people to join the myriad important conversations that the rest of the world is having without us.

This is especially frustrating because Wyoming has such potential. I see a plethora of natural resources whose management could take on an economically and environmentally sustainable model. I see opportunities for new types of schools to educate young people to solve the complex problems our immediate future brings. I see a strong work ethic and an eagerness in the younger generations to accept the massive responsibility that is the stewardship of our environment. Like a small business that can easily adapt, move quickly on its feet, and address a rapidly changing market, Wyoming is a state with a small population and a similar capacity for adaptability. I truly see more in this state than any place I’ve ever been, and I want a promising future for Wyoming. I’m choosing to stay, for now, in the hopes that Wyoming can and will realize its potential.

In order to do this, the citizens of this state need leadership, though. We need people with the courage to stay, to think boldly, and to propose new ways forward. Global trends are moving so quickly that keeping up can be a daunting task. However, if we look past our own borders we can easily see large-scale trends developing. We see a growing environmental movement (especially abroad), exemplified by reductions in housing sizes, conscious shifts away from frivolous consumerism, an exploding outdoor recreation economy, and the race for many companies to produce effective electric vehicles for transportation. These examples and more point to the adoption of environmental sustainability as a cultural centerpiece for younger generations. The future economy of the world won’t be measured in GDP — it will be measured in terms of sustainability. Not because it’s simply a good idea, but because we are on a collision course with the wholesale extermination of our own species if we cannot get it together. The necessity of environmental sustainability will drive the new world economy. 

Wyoming can lead the way or risk being left behind.

Lucas moved to Lander in 2016 in order to attend school at Central Wyoming College. Now, he’s a designer and builder who digs minimalism, and when he’s not building, he’s out riding his bike or exploring the hills.

KARA COLOVICH: Connected, unified, strong — The Wyoming I want to see

Posted on by Alan Rogers

Over the past couple of months, my partner and I have made some pivotal life decisions. Like many millennials, we face daunting pressures to get advanced degrees (and burden ourselves with enormous amounts of debt), chase high-paying jobs, move to the big city, and save up for our first house in the midst of a difficult financial market. We were succumbing to these pressures, but it didn’t align with the vision we had for ourselves. Where was the small farm with a greenhouse, chickens, and goats? Where was the deer salami and smoked trout hanging in the cellar? Where was the small-town community of support where everyone looks out for you? Instead of “paying our dues” in a lifestyle we could hardly recognize for ourselves, we screeched on the brakes. We decided to start with where we know we want to live and go from there. The place that kept calling to us was Wyoming. 

I loved growing up in Wyoming, but only in returning as an adult can I truly say I appreciate what this state has to offer. With its wide open spaces, down-to-earth people, unparalleled quality of life, and relative affordability, I look forward to making Wyoming my permanent home and raising a family here. That being said, even this state is not perfect, and as citizens, we need to be engaged in the change we want to see.

The Wyoming I want to see is connected, unified, and strong. Living in such a dispersed state can make us feel isolated — not only physically, but socially and personally — in our ability to express our concerns and make our voices heard. By creating stronger state-wide networks, we can empower those who do not have a voice. Whether it’s students who want to speak out about climate change in the face of opposition or farmers who want to adopt sustainable practices and sell locally but lack the collective buying power and marketing influence to do so, by coming together under one voice Wyomingites become stronger.

My Wyoming is also forward-looking while still holding on to our rich heritage and traditions. Being a fifth-generation Wyomingite, I treasure the history of my ancestors. It is important to celebrate their accomplishments and recognize their struggles — after all, they helped form who I am today. However, with my knowledge of climate change, I cannot help but think into the future. 

We need a Wyoming that prepares communities to cope with the effects of climate change while simultaneously readying them to lead in a new, diversified economy. States, cities, and businesses across the U.S. are mitigating their impact on climate change by looking for ways to offset their carbon footprint. Wyoming should seize the opportunity to become a leader in this market by incentivizing renewable energy production, teaching ranchers about carbon-sequestering rangeland management practices, and encouraging methane capture in landfills — to name only a few examples of the enormous potential. 

This flurry of new business and industry would bring in more state revenue sources and help inspire an ever more mission-oriented younger generation to remain here in Wyoming. If we only hold on to our past without acknowledging our future, we will lose our chance to adapt to the harsh realities facing our society.

We, here in America, are privileged to have the freedom of choice. The choice of the career we pursue, the lifestyle we live, and the place we call home. I choose Wyoming with all its wonders and its shortcomings. If we choose to come together and focus on our future, Wyoming will thrive for years to come.

Kara’s professional background is in climate change and sustainable business practices yet her experience as a farm hand and Nordic ski instructor also speak to her passions. Having moved back to the place she loves, Kara is looking forward to starting a small farm and producing many of the goods her family and friends have come to enjoy.

WADE LIPPINCOTT: Outdoor recreation is the future

Posted on by Alan Rogers

When I was growing up in Thermopolis, I spent my time fishing, hunting, and running wild in the Owl Creek Range. When we weren’t doing any of that, we were either in the canyon, floating the river, cliff jumping, racing BMX bikes, or climbing.

  Fast forward to 2020: I’m a father of three now, and I own a full-service roofing business. After a stint away from home, my wife and I moved our family back to Thermopolis. Besides family ties, outdoor recreation is the reason we moved home and it’s why we have chosen to stay. Thermopolis is a little rough around the edges, but it’s a great destination located in the middle of everything one could want. Hunting and angling opportunities ten minutes from town, hot springs, amazing geology, dinosaurs, a caring community, and a new hospital. Cody, Lander, and Ten Sleep are all day-trip destinations for our family. Over the recent holidays, we went ice climbing in Cody on a Saturday, rock climbing in Sinks Canyon on Tuesday, and then skiing in Jackson on Friday.

  Recently, I decided that just enjoying the outdoors wasn’t enough — I wanted to help our community embrace, develop, and promote outdoor recreation in Thermopolis. In 2018, I co-founded the Hot City Outdoor Alliance. The Alliance works to develop and support outdoor recreation projects and programs that enhance the economy, community, and environment of Hot Springs County for the benefit of current and future generations.

  Hot City was created to fill a real need in our community. There’s so much potential here for outdoor recreation to make our community stronger and more vibrant. Although we’re relatively new, we have already found success, and have a great deal of community support. This year we cut a trail on the T-Hill with the help of Hot Springs State Park, installed a Frisbee golf park, created a community ice skating rink, and held an outdoor day. These activities have all been received with open arms in our community, and we have seen several other non-profits step up alongside us to make these projects a reality.

  And now that we have some momentum, we’re able to turn our attention to the bigger picture needs of the community. We’ve held numerous “windshield sessions” driving partners around in our trucks, and held dinners and meetings with our agency and nonprofit stakeholders, talking about the future of Thermop and the potential opportunities ahead of us. We’re in the process of developing a comprehensive and sustainable trail plan that includes the downtown and creates trails for equestrians, hikers, and bikers. Long-term, we also want to start a bike share program, and work with agencies to open up new areas for recreation. 

We have a lot of big picture goals to work toward over the next 15 years, and all of them will help create a dynamic shift in our economy, leadership, and general health of our community. Imagine a doctor on the job market has three offers on her desk, and she finds that Thermopolis not only has a new hospital, but has numerous types of recreation and a warm community — she might like to move here. If her partner has always dreamed of running a small business and sees an available, “healthy” workforce, it might just seal the deal. That’s good for the community, good for the region, and good for Wyoming.

  Wyomingites have always embraced extractive resources as the engine of our economy, but it’s time to find new paths forward. That goes for both small communities and the state as a whole. Outdoor recreation promotes a clean economy, creates communities invested in a positive lifestyle, advances forward-thinking, community-minded leaders, and empowers others to get involved.

What we in Thermopolis hope to show our state is how this kind of community-building work can be accomplished through outdoor recreation, so others can duplicate our efforts in their own communities. In order to make change, you just need to step outside your comfort zone and take some risks. You’ll be surprised at how many others are willing to step up and lead with you.

Wade is a husband, father, and owner of Atlas Roofing, as well as a marginal climber of rocks. He is a founder of the Hot City Outdoor Alliance, and a graduate of the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s 2018 conservation leadership training.