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, […]
FIELD NOTES
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 […]
Rock Springs RMP: An extraordinary opportunity to protect the Red Desert
FOR OVER A DECADE, we’ve been eagerly anticipating — and preparing for — the release of the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan. The RMP, issued by the Bureau of Land Management, would have enormous implications for the future of the world-renowned and beloved Red Desert, the largest unfenced area in Wyoming and home to some […]
Creating easy passage for wildlife: volunteers modify fences during Stewardship Day
IN A FUN EFFORT TO HELP LOCAL WILDLIFE HABITAT, the Wyoming Outdoor Council teamed up with the Wyoming Wilderness Association and the Bureau of Land Management to host a volunteer stewardship day to improve over a mile and a half of fencing in the Big Sandy foothills outside Boulder, Wyoming. This fence modification project, led […]