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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.

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.”

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.

Outdoor Council member donates plug-in hybrid to spark conversation about fuel efficiency

Posted on by Alan Rogers

Let’s be honest: We in Wyoming love our trucks and SUVs. It makes sense in a place where the winters tend to stretch on, so many people work in the energy industry or agriculture, and enjoying the outdoors requires getting off the pavement. But can hybrid and electric vehicles have their place on the state’s roads too? That’s the conversation one Wyoming Outdoor Council member wants to jump-start. 

To that end, he donated a Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid to the Outdoor Council. 

If you need a refresher on how these vehicles work, a hybrid car uses a combination of a gas engine and one or more electric motors. The system switches between the two power sources — or uses a combination of both — depending on the car’s speed and battery charge, and recharges itself when the gas engine is running and by recapturing energy while braking. A plug-in hybrid has a larger battery pack and, as the name suggests, can be charged from an electrical outlet. That means it can travel further and faster while relying exclusively on battery power. When that initial charge is depleted it functions like any other hybrid. 

We are grateful for this generous gift and excited for the conversations that are sure to follow as we drive it around the state. The donor of the Prius asked to remain anonymous but was happy to answer a few questions. 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO DONATE THE VEHICLE?

Climate change is a big motivator. I’ve had Priuses since 2005, I think, and they’re really fuel-efficient cars.

I just bought a new Prius Prime and when I was looking to donate this one I thought there could be some kind of classes or education locally on the new generation of fuel-efficient cars. WOC had some seminars last year, talking about the nuclear fuel storage issue, climate change, and the solar net metering issue that [they were] instrumental in getting some action on. I thought they would be a good group to talk about fuel efficiency also. 

WHAT DO YOU HOPE WE CAN ACCOMPLISH? 

Teach people that hybrids and plug-ins can be used here in Wyoming. That’s what I’d like to see. At least get people to try it. This could be a way to start that. It’s a great car to take to Casper, it’s a great car to take to Cheyenne. But more than that, you can show people we’re making progress one car at a time. What if everyone on staff took it home for a night, plugged it in, used it? Told their family and friends about it. The best advocacy is to have one yourself. 

WHAT IMPACT HAS DRIVING A HYBRID CAR HAD ON YOU? 

I had this car for about two years. I keep meticulous records: 148 gallons of gas, $361 spent on gas. And I drove it 18,191 miles. If you just consider the gas, the car averaged 122 miles per gallon. I don’t have accurate data for this, but the electricity cost was about $4-6 per month. 

Just to compare, if you had a Subaru, which many people here drive, it would have used 627 gallons of gas to travel the same distance. This Prius used 75 percent less gas. I’ve kept these kinds of records for every car I’ve ever had and when you get done with it you say, “Hey, I really did save a lot of money.” Basically at the end of the year, it pays your entire car insurance bill. 

In the summer, a plug-in Prius has a range of about 40 miles on battery power alone. In the winter it’s about 20 miles. For most people, that’s enough to commute. If you’ve got an outlet or charging station at your place of work, 80 percent of the population would never need the gas engine. 

WHAT PLACE DO HYBRIDS HAVE IN WYOMING? DO YOU THINK THAT CAN CHANGE?

Wyoming runs the whole gamut, from people who drive fuel-efficient cars to people who think electric cars are not the wave of the future and are going to ruin Wyoming’s economy. But there are a lot of Priuses around.

The problem is, people don’t like to change. They think it’s not suitable for them and they don’t want to make the transition from gas to electric or hybrid. The president of Ford came out and said electric and hybrid vehicles haven’t made it mainstream because people are worried about them. They worry, “What if I run out of electricity? What if I can’t find a place to plug it in?” 

It’s this mindset that people have. Some people don’t understand that a hybrid still has a gas engine. If it’s got gas in it you’re going to get wherever you’re trying to go just like in your old car. 

Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length.