KEY UPDATES ACTIONS TO TAKE Thank your legislators. Your elected officials spent a long month (with many late nights!) away from home. Find your legislators and thank them for their work. You can also thank lawmakers who voted for something important to you: On this webpage, navigate to the ‘Votes’ tab of any bill to […]
FIELD NOTES
Wyoming’s budget is in limbo
The overall pace of the budget session may be slowing … but last week still kept us on our toes! (Gratefully, we were spared from any floor sessions extending into the wee hours, which happened several times in week two.) My personal highlight was time in the Senate Lobby with Outdoor Council executive director Carl […]
The budget advances with a Kelly Parcel win
Another week down, and what a week it was! There were late work nights, down-to-the-wire votes, and even a few tears shed by conservation lobbyists … Fortunately, those were tears of relief, as lawmakers in both chambers voted to retain the sale of the Kelly Parcel to the federal government! Now, even as Meghan Riley, […]
Budget discussions will pick up steam this week
I entered the doors of the Capitol last week full of both excitement and a bit of trepidation: Which bills would be introduced? Which bills would move forward, and which bills would die a swift death? And — would my lingering leg injury, sustained on a Search and Rescue mission last year, impede my ability […]
The journey from bill to law
For me, today’s not just another Monday. It’s the kickoff to the budget session of the 67th Wyoming Legislature — a day that’s been circled in big, bold strokes on my calendar for months. So what will happen, you ask, on this Not-Just-Any-Monday? Let’s start with what we know: When this email reaches your inbox, […]
Demystifying Wyoming’s budget: all your questions, answered
One week from today, the 93 citizen lawmakers of the Wyoming State Legislature will convene to kick off the 2024 legislative session — a budget session. Before that, though, let’s do a quick gut check: What happens when you hear the words, “It’s time to talk about the state’s budget?” If you’re as engrossed in […]
The 2024 Legislative Session: what to know now
Get ready for the rodeo … the 2024 session of the Wyoming Legislature is almost here! Last May, I proudly stepped into the role of government affairs manager at the Outdoor Council. In the nine or so months since then, I’ve been singularly focused on preparing for the upcoming session. From endless reading, research, and […]
Please welcome our new executive director, Carl Fisher!
November 29, 2023 Dear friends, As late November storms blanket much of Wyoming in snow and we transition to winter, the Outdoor Council is in the midst of its own changes. Our search for the right leader to carry our conservation work into the future has concluded — and we’d love for you to join […]
A wildlife legacy to uphold
IMAGINE THIS: It’s spring in Wyoming’s Red Desert, and daybreak unfolds around you. As the sun crests the horizon and illuminates mile upon mile of open sagebrush country, the songbirds’ dawn chorus reaches its crescendo. Sage thrashers and Brewer’s sparrows sing their hearts out. At intervals, the resonant “wups” of displaying Greater sage-grouse join in. […]
Q&A: An Eagle-Eye View of the Red Desert
In Wyoming’s Red Desert, the necessity of truly big-picture, holistic thinking around conservation advocacy is on full display. For one, it’s home to big game herds that require intact habitat throughout the length of migration corridors that span hundreds of miles. For another, it’s a place that has been stewarded by people for millennia, whose […]