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conservation

Scholarships support students committed to conservation

Posted on by John Burrows

This year the Wyoming Outdoor Council is proud to award $1,500 scholarships to five graduating high school seniors from Wyoming — who all have demonstrated a commitment to conservation values and protecting Wyoming’s environment and quality of life. The five students plan to study a wide range of topics in conservation and resource management and will be pursuing related degrees. These scholarships were made possible thanks to the generous support of the Blue Ridge Fund of Wyoming. Congratulations! 

  • Tessa Coughenour (Natrona County High School) will study environmental design at Montana State University.
  • Parker Goodwin (Cody High School) will study engineering at the University of Wyoming.
  • Mallie Gray (Natrona County High School) will study reclamation and restoration ecology at the University of Wyoming.
  • Kai Lynn (Cody High School) will study biology at Northwest College with plans to transfer to the University of Wyoming to complete a degree in wildlife biology. 
  • Rachel Stoinski (Lander Valley High School) will study wildlife and fisheries biology and  management at the University of Wyoming

We will continue to offer these scholarships each year to help support the next generation of conservation-minded Wyomingites. If you know a young person who may qualify, please spread the word and watch for the next opportunity to apply in early 2021.

Public Lands Lease Report: Wild Speculation in Wild Places

Posted on by John Rader

While local governments, businesses, and individuals wrestle with the impacts of coronavirus, public lands leasing to the oil and gas industry continues unabated. But this irresponsible federal leasing in Wyoming started well before the pandemic. In recent years, the Bureau of Land Management has drastically ramped up the amount of acreage available for leasing. Hundreds of thousands of acres of public land in Wyoming — including some of our most cherished landscapes and wildlife habitat — have been auctioned for development, with many parcels going for bargain basement prices.

The BLM is required to manage public lands for “multiple use,” balancing a wide range of activities and uses on our public lands — from outdoor recreation to wildlife habitat, preservation of historic and cultural sites, livestock grazing, industrial uses, and more. But today, over a third of all federal public lands in Wyoming are already leased to oil and gas companies for development. At a national level, 90 percent of BLM lands are available for leasing and new federal resource management plans across the West are opening up even more lands to industry, putting recreation and wildlife at risk. 

At the Wyoming Outdoor Council, we wonder where the balance is — and why our exceptional wildlife, outdoor recreation, and historical and cultural resources are being ignored.

That’s why we’re publishing a two-part report on the management of public lands in Wyoming, which includes infographics, photos, and interactive maps so you can better understand what’s at stake. 

Part I, which we’re releasing today, focuses on speculative oil and gas leasing in Wyoming. Specifically, we touch on the scale of leasing in Wyoming, where leases are located, and what resources they are impacting.

Part II, which we’ll publish along with the release of the long-awaited BLM draft resource management plan for the Rock Springs field office, will focus on this plan.- The RMP will dictate the management of millions of acres of public land in Wyoming for decades to come. The region includes treasured places like the Red Desert and irreplaceable wildlife habitat like the Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration corridor and the Golden Triangle.

READ THE REPORT HERE

Should Energy Companies be Exempt from Environmental Protections During the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Posted on by John Rader

The global outbreak of Covid-19 has upended our lives. Economic activity around the world has slowed at an alarming rate as many of us stop traveling, shutter our businesses, and stay in our homes. In Wyoming, families are feeling the strain, including our energy workforce. Oil prices continue to tumble as demand slows, companies slash spending, and Saudi Arabia and Russia flood the oversupplied markets with cheap crude, furthering a massive oil glut. Across the nation and in Wyoming, major oil and gas companies are already laying off workers.

In these lean times, it’s important to take stock of and be responsible with our resources, support our communities, and plan for a secure economic future. But while individuals and industries across the country are tightening their belts, energy companies are requesting exceptions from basic environmental protections that protect public health — shifting the burden to the public and future generations in a time of crisis. 

Last week, the National Mining Association, the lead lobbyist for the coal industry, requested a temporary reduction or elimination of royalty payments and fees to the Treasury Department. Shortly thereafter, oil and gas companies asked the Environmental Protection Agency for a pass on regulatory requirements, claiming companies can’t afford to pay the employees who are responsible for ensuring compliance. 

On March 26, the EPA issued a sweeping and unprecedented suspension of its enforcement of environmental protections telling companies they do not need to comply with environmental regulations during the outbreak — including protections for water, air, and land quality that prevent pollution and protect public health.. The EPA has not set an end date for this suspension. The new policy would allow companies to both ignore environmental protections and avoid routine monitoring and reporting obligations with no penalty or repercussions for noncompliance. 

At the same time, the Bureau of Land Management is continuing to lease public land to oil and gas companies at unreasonably low prices, and is threatening to open up new lands to development in Resource Management Plans across the West during the pandemic. These actions raise serious fiscal and resource concerns. Should leasing and permitting be allowed to move forward if the energy industry has conceded it will be unable to meet its most basic environmental and public health obligations? Should it get special accommodations while the public faces additional roadblocks to participation? Should the public shoulder additional cleanup and public health costs to prop up an industry beleaguered by global markets?

In response to the pandemic, governors across the country have requested a halt to leasing, RMP revisions, and other federal actions on public lands. This week, conservative and taxpayer groups asked the federal government to suspend public lands leasing, calling it “fiscally reckless” in the current financial market. The financial return to taxpayers from public lands leasing is already far below the market rate, and the current oil glut is depressing returns even further. In BLM’s last Wyoming lease sale, only 61 percent of the acres that were offered actually sold — and 42 percent went for the minimum bid of $2 an acre for a 10 year right to develop. The parcels that weren’t bid on are now available noncompetitively for just $1.50 an acre. Conservation groups have also asked for a halt to leasing, concerned that the public can’t safely convene at meetings or even access important documents. 

Some federal actions, like RMP revisions, can dictate land management for decades. It is critical that local stakeholders can provide input on these plans, understand them, and ask questions of government officials. Based on our concerns about public participation, the Wyoming Outdoor Council and Powder River Basin Resource Council sent a letter to Gov. Mark Gordon on March 26, requesting a pause on public comment periods for state permits and rule changes. The Outdoor Council, along with other conservation and sportsmen’s groups, has also requested a delay of the Rock Springs RMP draft release until public meetings can safely resume. 

In Wyoming, we look out for one another in times of hardship. Many people’s livelihoods are on the line, and people in all lines of work are struggling. But cutting environmental regulations that protect the public’s health and leasing public land at bottom of the barrel prices is not a smart response to this crisis. It’s fiscally irresponsible, shortsighted, and jeopardizes the quality of life and natural resources Wyoming will need for a stable future.

Now is the time to come together and rally around our shared values, work for the well-being of our state, and protect its resources for future generations. That means not loosening the protections Wyoming people depend on for clean air, clean water, and abundant wildlife. In times of crisis, environmental protections are more important than ever. Public participation in government decision making is critical. And fiscal responsibility is even more essential. We should not rush to give away the resources that secure our state’s future — our public lands, our clean air and water, and our outdoor way of life. 

Say “Thanks” to your legislators who worked for conservation

Posted on by Steff Kessler

Wyoming’s legislative session wrapped two weeks ago after tremendous work from your legislators, who had to address hundreds of bills while also crafting the state’s budget for the next two years. As they made the important decisions required to move the state forward, they made time for personal conversations and testimony from us and numerous stakeholders, and engaged with citizens over phone and email. It’s a big job — and, since Wyoming has a citizen legislature, they do it all as volunteers.

Your legislators put in an incredible amount of work, especially during the fast-paced budget session. Please join us in expressing your thanks! The button below will take you to a form where you can draft an email that will go to your senator and representative. Please  personalize the message!

THANK YOUR REPS!


The session provides us with a direct opportunity to see legislators hard at work, and we at the Outdoor Council try often to give our personal thanks. But it’s also important to take the time to thank the legislators who made a significant difference this year. 

HEROES OF THE SENATE

We would like to thank Chairman Bill Landen (Casper) and the Senate Corporations committee for their work stewarding Senate File 36, Large scale solar and wind energy facilities, through multiple long nights and complex negotiations with stakeholders. This bill creates an important first step toward a more comprehensive approach to siting industrial solar and wind facilities — a topic we hope to carry forward into future sessions! Thanks to this entire committee for their depth of work and engagement on this issue. We’d like to thank each Senator by name due to the extraordinary work that this bill entailed!

  • Sen. Wendy Schuler (Evanston)
  • Sen. Cale Case (Lander)
  • Sen. Charlie Scott (Casper)
  • Sen. Tara Nethercott (Cheyenne) 

HEROES OF THE HOUSE

This year, we’d like to thank Chairman Mike Greear (Worland) and the House Minerals committee for their commitment to transparency, wise stewardship of resources, and extensive work over the interim. While we don’t see eye to eye with the committee on all issues, we have found that House Minerals prioritizes public process, due diligence, and having detailed, thoughtful discussions about each issue before them. We found this committee’s work and discussions on House Bill 13, Sage grouse mitigation credits (a vital bill that codifies a key part of the state’s sage grouse strategy) and Senate File 110 (a bill that would have analyzed the private property value of all public lands in Wyoming) to be particularly thoughtful. Thank you!

NEW CONSERVATION LOBBYISTS OF THE YEAR

We have two conservation lobbyists to thank this year as relative newcomers to the legislative session. Jenny DeSarro (Cody) from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is a seasoned advocate who’s no stranger to the legislature, but this year came down for her first lengthy stint lobbying for GYC. Her work ethic and the quality of her engagement were tremendous. We would also like to recognize Liz Rose (Cheyenne) from Trout Unlimited, who came on board shortly before the session and made a powerful impression on legislators and lobbyists alike. Her work to represent TU’s many members on all issues related to fisheries was exemplary. 

THANKS TO THESE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS

  • The leadership of the House of Representatives, especially House Majority Floor Leader Eric Barlow (Gillette) and Speaker Pro Tempore Albert Sommers (Pinedale), for offering sage advice and assistance. 
  • We would also like to thank Rep. Sommers for his service on the Appropriations committee, and his work to ensure that the Department of Environmental Quality had adequate funding to monitor and safeguard air quality in the Upper Green River Basin. Thanks as well to Rep. Andy Schwartz (Jackson) for his work on this same committee, his helpful advice, and his efforts to improve a bill focused on Teton County state lands parcels. 
  • Rep. Cyrus Western (Sheridan), Sen. Fred Baldwin (Kemmerer), and Sen. Cale Case (Lander) for their work bringing budget amendments to the House and Senate, respectively, to increase funding in the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust to support wildlife crossings work. Thanks to their advocacy, $3 million of additional funding for crossings is included in this year’s budget. 
  • Chairman Eric Barlow (Gillette) and Chairman Drew Perkins (Casper) for their powerful work leading the Select Committee on Coal/Mineral Bankruptcies, which brought several critical bills that address the impact of energy economy transitions in Wyoming communities — especially the impact on workers. We also want to recognize Rep. Scott Clem and Sen. Michael Von Flatern (both of Gillette) for their strong work vocalizing the importance of bills from this committee that will be vital to their constituents. 
  • Rep. Mike Yin (Jackson) for his work to advocate for the future of outdoor recreation in the state, and for being a thoughtful voice on the House floor. 
  • Chairman Tyler Lindholm (Sundance) for his strong leadership in successfully shepherding Senate File 36 on industrial siting of wind and solar facilities through the House. 
  • Joint Agriculture Chairmen Sen. Brian Boner (Douglas) and Rep. Hans Hunt (Newcastle) for stewarding an important topic related to public access to state and federal lands via private-state land exchanges. We are grateful that this topic will be addressed by agency rulemaking. We would also like to thank these chairmen for continuing to lead on the topics of stranded state parcels.
  • Rep. Stan Blake (Green River) for being a consistent voice advocating for Wyoming wildlife, and for his work promoting worker and community safety in the public interest.
  • Rep. Sandy Newsome (Cody) for being a leader looking toward Wyoming’s future, for speaking up for the value of outdoor recreation in communities, and for her commitment to transparency and communication. 
  • Sen. Cale Case (Lander) and Sen. Chris Rothfuss (Laramie) for leading spirited, important floor debate on issues related to wildlife and Wyoming’s energy future. 
  • Rep. Shelly Duncan (Lingle) and Sen. Wendy Schuler (Evanston) for their work on the House Minerals committee and on the floor of the Senate, respectively, raising important questions about Senate File 110 and speaking to the value of wildlife and Wyoming’s outdoor heritage.  
  • Sen. Larry Hicks (Baggs) for standing up for big game, and for always being willing to explain his point of view, even when we agree to disagree. 
  • Rep. Jim Roscoe (Wilson/Alpine) for his work to encourage transparency in the management of state lands and for his thoughtful engagement on the floor. 
  • Sen. Liisa Anselmi-Dalton (Rock Springs) for being a strong advocate for Sweetwater County, and for her consistent support of wildlife and public lands.

AND FINALLY, SPECIAL THANKS TO …

  • Governor Mark Gordon and his policy staff, with whom we met regularly throughout the session. While we didn’t always agree, we appreciated the frank, open-door conversations, and our mutual work to find understanding and common ground. Extra special thanks to Bob Budd, director of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust, for his work as a stalwart advocate for our state’s wildlife and people. Thank you all for your leadership and commitment to the people of this state. 
  • The dedicated agency staff who put in long hours engaging and providing information to the legislature as they work on critical statewide issues. Your service is vital and much appreciated. 
  • Our five incredible citizen interns: Jorge Moreno (Lander), Lynne Huskinson (Gillette), Colleen Whalen and Joe Slack (Lander), and Elizabeth Traver (Laramie). Thanks for your incredible dedication, enthusiasm, and high-quality work. It was a pleasure to work with you and each of you made a difference. 
  • Partners, collaborators, allies, fellow advocates, and other interest groups. At the legislature, the importance of working together and listening to each others’ points of view can’t be overstated. In addition to conservation and sportsmen’s groups, some of our best work gets done when we sit down with groups from a wide range of interests. We don’t always find ourselves on the same side, but we always show respect to each other and seek mutual understanding. This session, we want to thank the following groups for your hard work, willingness to share your perspectives and ideas (and sometimes a cup of coffee) with us, and commitment to representing your members: 
    • Wyoming County Commissioners Association
    • Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association
    • Wyoming Stock Growers Association 
    • Wyoming Mining Association
    • Wyoming School Board Association 
    • Wyoming AFL-CIO
    • Wyoming League of Women Voters 
    • Civics307
    • Wyoming Education Association
    • Equality State Policy Center (and all our ESPC partners)

And to the conservation and sportsmen’s groups that worked to represent Wyoming conservation values throughout the session: 

  • Wyoming Wildlife Federation
  • Trout Unlimited
  • Greater Yellowstone Coalition 
  • Powder River Basin Resource Council 
  • The Nature Conservancy of Wyoming

Finally, and most importantly, thanks to YOU, our members and supporters. We could not achieve success at the legislature or advocate your conservation values without the enduring support that you provide. Thank you for your engagement. 

Story behind the photo: “Mule Deer Buck” by Debbie Tubridy

Posted on by Claire Cella

Many wildlife photographers will say that “perfect” shots involve luck and being in the right place at the right time. The real trick, said Debbie Tubridy, is observing and interpreting the animals and their signs. It’s a skill she used to capture the foraging mule deer buck that we featured in our 2019 calendar. As an avid and longtime wildlife photographer, Turbidy knew this shot was special. 

“Usually animals put their heads up and look right at you, but this guy just continued to reach his head right up to get those leaves,” she said, “as if I weren’t even there.”

The autumn morning the image was taken, Debbie was out on a drive with her husband and a friend. They were just leaving Grand Teton National Park when they came upon the buck.

“It had just finished raining,” she remembered, “and we had gone out to see what we could find. This was one of the last shots I took that day, and it’s the type of scene that brought me out West.”

Although Debbie closely follows the guidelines for wildlife photography — using cars as blinds, approaching cautiously, always giving animals adequate space — her underlying ethic is not to disturb animals. 

“They shouldn’t change their behavior because I’m there,” she said. “I want them to act as they are. A lot of my shots are not the close-ups of their faces, but catching them in their natural state and environment. That’s part of the story, and you need to show that.” 

Her philosophy is similar to the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s approach to wildlife advocacy — especially around mule deer migration corridors. Science shows that disturbance inside corridors isn’t good for mule deer herds. It’s an issue Turbidy has been following as an Outdoor Council member. She said she wishes more people took responsibility for the impact their decisions have on wildlife. 

“That’s why I like to photograph wildlife, because I can help tell the animals’ story, and help show people that we’re all connected. I like to think I’m helping increase people’s awareness and appreciation for animals with my images.”

There is just something special about stopping and sharing a moment with an animal, she said. 

“It’s like all time stands still for me. It’s super cool. And I just wish other people could have this same experience — could go and see, touch, feel, understand nature. And then think about the decisions we make regarding wildlife and the environment.”

Debbie and her husband moved to Fruita, Colorado, from southern Florida two years ago after years of traveling West. “I did the math,” Turbidy laughed, “and Fruita was the spot because it was within a day’s drive of all of the places we loved to visit — Wyoming included.” 

“There’s a certain amount of truth here,” she said of the West. “People stand up for their values — for the wildlife and landscapes. And, being from populated southern Florida, we love the solitude of the wilderness we find here. The unspoiled beauty that remains in these varied terrains.” 

“I just think, if we’re good stewards of the environment, everything else — flora and fauna — also falls into place.”

Join Debbie and other photographers by submitting your own shot of Wyoming for the Outdoor Council’s 2020 Calendar Contest. You can enter your photos via Instagram or email. To submit your photo(s) via Instagram, you must have a public Instagram account so that we’re able to view your submission. Upload your photo(s) and add the hashtag #MyWyoming.

To submit your photo(s) via email, send your photo(s) to claire@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org.

For more information about the contest, visit our Calendar Contest page.

Story behind the photo: “Cattle Drive” by Cheryl Elliott

Posted on by Claire Cella

One day last summer, Larry Hanft, owner of Little Tongue Ranch south of Dayton, Wyoming, needed help. So he turned to his summer neighbors and new friends Cheryl Elliott and her husband Matt. Cheryl and Matt spend their summers on land owned by the Hanft family just south of Burgess Junction.

“It’s one of my favorite times of year … when I get to live above 8,000 feet. It’s truly my happy place,” she said.

The Bighorn National Forest has been a mainstay for ranching families for years. About 21 percent of the public land on the forest is used as rangeland. Larry and his family had grazed cattle here since 1992, but never had a picture taken of this work. That would be Cheryl’s job, while Matt would be helping with the cattle drive.

It was a crisp morning in late September when she headed out to meet Larry, his five cowboys, her husband, and the herd of nearly 400 Charolais-Angus cattle as they made their way east across national forest land. They had already been up for hours, rounding up cows and calves on horseback from the open meadows south of Burgess Junction where the herd had been grazing all summer. Their goal that day was to get the cattle to Turkey Creek near Steamboat Rock, before continuing to Dayton the next.

Instead of grasping leather reins, Cheryl held the leather of her camera strap, ready for the moment the cattle emerged from the lodgepole pines to head down Highway 14-A, guided by the prods of Larry and his team.

It was a noisy day, she recalled — cows calling to their calves, the clap-clap of hooves on pavement, the rustle of hundreds of bodies in the forest, the occasional whap of a rope, leather shifting in saddles, yells between men.

What surprised and delighted her was the synchronicity of the movement, the pure orchestration of the process — something she only realized once her eye was behind the lens. She came away with an even deeper respect for Larry, for ranching, and for the way of life she witnessed.

“He’s the hardest working man I’ve ever met,” she said. “You’d be hard pressed to find someone who works as hard as he and his team does.”

“What I thought was really neat was the way Larry was so cognizant of his role,” she continued. “He was constantly aware of trying to be not only a good steward of the land, but also to the people we interacted with. He says he always worries that people are getting upset because the cattle drive slows their progress up the highway — but what I saw were people not feeling inconvenienced but grateful for the chance to get to experience a true cattle drive.”

Larry is part of a proud culture of modern ranchers who still drive their cattle from winter to summer pastures. It’s a tradition that has lasted for hundreds of years in Wyoming, where the terrain remains too rugged or wild for motor vehicles and a working rancher is the only way to get the job done. Because of this reliance on the land to make their living, most ranchers know firsthand the importance of conservation, and form deep connections with the landscapes they move through.

“Ranchers are great stewards of the land,” Cheryl said. “We all — ranchers and outdoor recreationalists alike — want to preserve and keep our national forest land as pristine as we can. Conservation and ranching really do go hand and hand.”

She said that’s what she admired about groups like the Wyoming Outdoor Council.

“There’s a middle ground,” she said. “We’re all just trying to keep everything that we love where we live intact and better it, if possible.”

Even before she took pictures of Larry that day, Cheryl had been capturing the working landscape of the Bighorns. Something about it was always alluring to her.

“Every year, I try to take some pictures of cattle grazing in front of Twin Buttes, or some spectacular backdrop,” she said. Ranching is “truly another part of this national forest, and I want to show people that there’s beauty in that, too.”

Join Cheryl and other photographers by submitting your own shot of Wyoming for the Outdoor Council’s 2020 Calendar Contest. You can enter your photos via Instagram or email. To submit your photo(s) via Instagram, you must have a public Instagram account so that we’re able to view your submission. Upload your photo(s) and add the hashtag #MyWyoming.

To submit your photo(s) via email, send your photo(s) to claire@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org.

For more information about the contest, visit our Calendar Contest page.

Safeguarded: Prime wildlife habitat in Little Snake River Valley

Posted on by Dustin Bleizeffer
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Some good news to report! Oil and gas operator Greater Rocky Mountain Resources has abandoned plans to drill more than a dozen wells in some of the most important and sensitive wildlife habitat in the state.

In March, investment firm-backed GRMR (based in Colorado) notified the Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office it would “release” federal permits to drill the wells — which could have set the stage for major industrial development spanning 136.5 square miles in the Little Snake River Valley near Baggs. The development would have taken place inside mule deer crucial winter range, migration corridors, and priority (“core”) habitat for Greater sage-grouse. The area is also home to the largest population of Columbian sharp-tailed grouse anywhere in the Rockies.

The picturesque Little Snake River Valley is treasured hunting grounds, and home to sheep, cattle, and irrigated agriculture operations. As the conservation group EcoFlight put it, “The Little Snake River Valley is one of the few remaining intact river valleys in the West that has not experienced rampant development.”

In places where oil and gas development is appropriate the Wyoming Outdoor Council works hard to see it “done right” by advocating that operators mitigate impacts to air, water, and wildlife. But in other places, mitigation is not sufficient.

“This is a great example of an area that should never have been leased in the first place,” Senior Conservation Advocate Dan Heilig said. “These are rare habitats, and there’s simply no way to accommodate an industrial development here without sacrificing native wildlife, open spaces, clean air and water, and tranquility in the Little Snake River Valley.”

The Wyoming Outdoor Council worked with local ranchers and partner organizations to advocate more effective stipulations to protect vital mule deer and sage-grouse habitat. We reviewed BLM’s analysis and permitting, and asked for revisions to correct deficiencies in the federal plans. WOC, along with Little Snake River Valley locals, The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon Society, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department advocated better analysis of cumulative impacts of the overall development.

“It was evident that GRMR and the BLM hadn’t done their homework,” Heilig said. “Thanks to the dedication of local ranchers and advocacy among many partners, the operator decided to abandon the project — a huge win for some of Wyoming’s most precious wildlife habitat that simply can’t be replaced.”

 

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Story Behind the Photo: “Snake River” by Kyle Aiton

Posted on by Claire Cella

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Ask most photographers about that “perfect” shot and they’ll tell you that while their craft involves skill, practice, and technique, there is also a certain amount of luck. So was the case for Kyle Aiton and the image he captured at dawn on the Snake River, which we featured in our 2018 calendar.

“I lucked out big time on that shot,” Aiton confessed. He was in his own kayak, trying to capture and set the tone from behind his lens. “I had been solely looking in the other direction, up-river and facing forward. But then I turned around and I saw the steam on the water. I saw the sun coming up. I just love that shot. Sometimes the scenery does all the work for you and you just have to press the shutter button.”

The image, although shot in color, shines with sepia tones in the fresh sunlight peeking over the mountain top. In the foreground, a kayaker deftly maneuvers his oar as water spills across his kayak. Further back, a group sits in a shadowed raft, and your eye is led down the glowing, tree-lined curve of the Snake as mist floats above the surface. It’s the kind of photograph that makes you instantly appreciate the beauty of this natural treasure and explains why people from across the globe come to fish, paddle, and just be in the presence of the mighty Snake River.

Aiton was on the water that morning as a photography instructor for Summit Workshops, a national organization that pairs students with mentors to hone their craft in stunning natural settings. It was the fourth day of a week-long adventure that had included trail running, rock climbing, kayaking, and fly fishing.

“We had arrived when it was still dark and cold,” he said. “Some people were nervous — they had never been on the water before. But soon you could sense everyone relax and get comfortable with just how amazingly beautiful it was.”

A full-time freelance photographer, Aiton had joined the workshop as a way to combine work, travel, and outdoor recreation. He grew up in North Carolina, and moved to Wyoming after college (the first time he’d been west of the Mississippi) to pursue an AmeriCorps position in Cheyenne building Habitat ReStores. He immediately fell for the West’s vast landscape, and for the past 10 years he’s split his time between Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. But no place, he says, has ever left an impression on him like Wyoming has.

“The absolute solitude and drastic differences in landscapes you experience between Cheyenne and north towards Sheridan or west towards the Tetons” provide an indelible perspective, he said. Aiton discovered the many contrasts of Wyoming just as contrasts were happening in his own life. “Not only is Wyoming beautiful, I moved here at such a pivotal time in my life. It was a new chapter, and everything was new to me, so it was very impactful.”

It was in Wyoming that Aiton took up photography and began spending more time outdoors. He has a hand-me-down camera and started shooting his outdoor adventures with friends. Although his initial images weren’t his best technically, he was impressed with the content — people recreating and doing the things they love in dramatic landscapes.

He was honored to have his photograph selected for our 2018 calendar, and he said it made him feel proud to know he might be contributing to a greater cause just by “taking a beautiful picture of a beautiful place so that other people can appreciate it.”

The Snake River that Aiton captured flows south through Jackson Hole and cuts west between the Teton and Wyoming mountain ranges. It is renowned for its blue ribbon native trout fisheries — a vital resource in a landscape we have worked to protect over the past decade.

In 2013, after years of work with numerous partners, we celebrated the purchase and retirement of nearly 60,000 acres of oil and gas leases in the Upper Hoback Basin of the Wyoming Range. Our “Don’t Frack the Hoback” campaign ensured the headwaters of the Congressionally designated Wild and Scenic Hoback River — which flows into the Snake — would not be the location of 136 new oil and gas wells.

This year, an additional 24,000 acres of leases were retired from oil and gas drilling as part of the continuing work of citizens and local leaders who value the area’s vistas, outdoor recreation opportunities, and diverse wildlife.

Join Aiton and other photographers by submitting your own shot of Wyoming for the Outdoor Council’s 2019 Calendar Contest. You can enter your photos via Instagram or email. To submit your photo(s) via Instagram, you must have a public Instagram account so that we’re able to view your submission. Upload your photo(s) and add the hashtag #MyWyoming.

To submit your photo(s) via email, send your photo(s) to claire@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org.

For more information about the contest, visit our Calendar Contest page.

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