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migration corridors

“Pronghorn are a great avenue to amaze and inspire people.”

Posted on by Helen Lewis

A conversation with Jackson naturalist Kevin Taylor, pondering pronghorn in Jackson Hole, ‘nature inheritance,’ and hope for the next generation

Twice a year, Sublette Pronghorn embark on one of the longest land migrations in the lower 48 states — an epic journey stretching 165 miles from I-80 to Grand Teton National Park. Their ancient migration pathways crisscross highways and meander through ranches, communities, and the backyards of people who call this part of Wyoming home.

Kevin Taylor of Jackson is one such person. Kevin moved to Jackson over 20 years ago as a naturalist and guide in the ecotourism industry. He has spent years observing wildlife and studying the ecology of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, devoting time and effort to understanding and appreciating the place he lives and the animals that also call it home.  

As a continuation of our series on people connected to this magnificent migration, Kevin was kind enough to share his story with us on a visit to where the Gros Ventre River flows out of the mountains north of Kelly, Wyoming. Like the river, pronghorn stream out of the Gros Ventre range and into Jackson Hole, following the path of least resistance at the end of their spring migration in May. 

It was March, and snow was falling with increasing intensity as Kevin and I drove north. Though we walked just off the road for our conversation, we donned snowshoes to avoid sinking to our knees, and only the tips of the tallest sagebrush and bitterbrush were exposed above the snow. Overlooking the river with the Tetons in the distance, there were no pronghorn to be found. The Sublette Pronghorn herd will be here in a few short months, however, passing by on their way to the greener pastures of their summer range in Grand Teton National Park. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

Image: Elizabeth Boehm

WOC: Can you share a bit about your background in the area and your profession? 

Kevin: In the late 1990s, I worked on a master’s degree at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Right after I finished my master’s, I met my wife, and I was offered a position in Jackson Hole in ecotourism to guide educational programs in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

If you twisted my arm and asked for my specialty, it would actually be botany. I have a master’s in botany from the University of Wyoming. One of the things that keeps me from going on to a Ph.D. are [my interests] in so many different facets of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I see my niche as a generalist … to bridge the gap between science and primary literature and the public. 

WOC: How has your career as a wildlife guide and naturalist influenced how you see pronghorn antelope? 

Kevin: Personally, I really enjoy teaching people about pronghorn in Grand Teton National Park … I want people to be amazed by this place. I want people to be inspired so that then they can take that inspiration home with them and get excited about getting to know their [own] places, spending more time outside, and developing a deeper relationship with home. Pronghorn are a great avenue to amaze and inspire people.

WOC: What stands out to people when you’re viewing pronghorn with them? 

Kevin: In places outside of Wyoming, we teach about animals when we find an antler, a rub on a tree, or a track. I think what’s so remarkable about this area is that we can teach about these animals as we’re watching them. Viewing or finding pronghorn is not real difficult because they’re active all day long. All of the animal species that were here prior to settlement are still here, and that’s really remarkable. There are not a lot of places in the lower 48 that can say that. To be able to talk about these amazing aspects of pronghorn anatomy, physiology, and history while watching them behave is really amazing for visitors.

[The movements of wildlife in the valley] are a part of how we mark our calendars. Wildlife watching is such an important part of the culture here and the timing of when animals do what they do, when they migrate, when they return, when they’re breeding, when they’re having their young — it’s what we talk about. When you look at the local newspaper here, the Jackson Hole News & Guide, we open the paper and either on the front page or the second page, there’s almost always a wildlife-related article. When people get off the airplane and they walk towards the gate to come into the airport, they walk through an antler arch. There’s these elk antler arches on each of the four corners of the town square. To me, that’s so symbolic of how important wildlife is to Jackson Hole, to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and, of course, to the culture of Wyoming.

I think what’s so remarkable about this area is that we can teach about these animals as we’re watching them. Viewing or finding pronghorn is not real difficult because they’re active all day long. All of the animal species that were here prior to settlement are still here, and that’s really remarkable. There are not a lot of places in the lower 48 that can say that. To be able to talk about these amazing aspects of pronghorn anatomy, physiology, and history while watching them behave is really amazing for visitors. 

— Kevin Taylor

WOC: Why is wildlife important to you specifically?

Kevin: When I think of the top five reasons why I have lived the second half of my life in Wyoming, one of those, without question, is wildlife. It’s the fact that all the wildlife species that were here prior to settlement are still here. I also hunt … that can be a real foreign concept that you can actually love an animal and hunt it. [Hunting] is such a big part of my relationship with this landscape. I very much like and ‘live’ the idea of participating in nature. So not just watching it — not just observing it — but also participating in it.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, where meat came from a styrofoam container. For me to have the opportunity to show and to model to my daughter where our food comes from is very significant. If you are what you eat, my daughter and my family are partially elk. To say that eating that meat all year is important is an understatement. It’s sacred — it’s just a part of who we are and what we do. We all know that hunting is such an important part of Wyoming culture, and I hope it never, ever goes away.

WOC: Why does the Sublette Pronghorn migration corridor matter?

Kevin: Let’s [take] a hummingbird. You know, we can do a wonderful job of protecting hummingbird habitat here and [a wonderful job of protecting their habitat] in South American countries where they winter. But it’s all for naught if we don’t protect the travel corridor along the way.

We can easily apply that to pronghorn as well. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has incredible wildlife habitat — a lot of very intact habitat. The Red Desert has incredible habitat down there, but if we don’t protect that corridor in between, it’s all for naught. For me, there’s a lot of things that we can’t control. Here in Wyoming, [we can’t control] harsh weather, like [what we saw] two winters ago when so many pronghorn died across the state. We have a hard time controlling disease, too. That can come about in animals, which was also an issue two years ago. I am a big fan of controlling the things we can control, and we have the ability to protect this pathway so that my daughter’s kids … can anticipate pronghorn [moving through this area]. We have control of being able to make that decision.

I am a big fan of controlling the things we can control, and we have the ability to protect this pathway so that my daughter’s kids … can anticipate pronghorn [moving through this area]. We have control of being able to make that decision. 

— Kevin Taylor

WOC: What are your hopes for the future when it comes to the ability of animals like Sublette Pronghorn to migrate from I-80 to Grand Teton National Park?

Kevin: About 25 years ago, I remember driving behind an RV, and on the back of the RV there was a bumper sticker that read: “We are out spending our kids’ inheritance.” I remember thinking hard about that, and I sort of changed the context of the bumper sticker. When the bumper sticker said ‘inheritance,’ I thought about the idea of ‘nature inheritance.’ We are out spending our kids’ ‘nature inheritance.’ That’s something I’ve held on to ever since. 

My hope is that my great, great granddaughter can stand [here] and in early May, she may see pronghorn migrating … coming back out of the Gros Ventre River [drainage] and into Jackson Hole to spend the summer. To me, that’s a symbol of the idea of ‘looking bigger’ and thinking about the legacy we leave behind. It’s that idea of ‘nature inheritance.’

When I became a father, almost 19 years ago now, I signed up for hope. I get choked up — what greater symbol of hope is there than bringing children into the world? [I hope] we use our ability to make decisions to pass on our ‘nature inheritance’ to our kids, [which means doing] things like setting aside the Path of the Pronghorn.

Image: Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven

From Green River to Cora to Jackson, our Pronghorn & People series features the stories of folks who share their backyards with migrating Sublette Pronghorn — and who are hopeful this migration receives the protection it needs to endure.

Keep an eye on our blog for more. In the meantime, learn more about this migration corridor and how you can help protect these incredible animals on our Sublette Pronghorn page.

“It’s never going to be easier to protect migration corridors than right now.”

Posted on by Helen Lewis

A conversation with Bill Ames, longtime Green River resident, about coexisting with migrating pronghorn

Twice a year, Sublette Pronghorn embark on one of the longest land migrations in the lower 48 states — an epic journey stretching 165 miles from I-80 to Grand Teton National Park. Their ancient migration pathways crisscross highways and meander through ranches, communities, and the backyards of people who call this part of Wyoming home.

Bill Ames of Green River is one such person. Bill moved to Green River more than 40 years ago for a land surveyor role, and his career and hunting interests have made him a keen observer of the land and the critters that call it home, including the Sublette Pronghorn herd.

As a part of our series on people connected to this magnificent migration, Bill was kind enough to share his story with us during a trip outside of town in search of pronghorn on their winter range. 

We hopped into Bill’s truck and drove up Highway 372 onto the sagebrush plateau. Sure enough — near a large solar project, trona mine, and numerous gravel pits — we encountered several bands of wary pronghorn that moved away swiftly as the truck’s tires ground to a stop.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. 

WOC: Can you share a bit about your background, and what you love about this area? 

Bill: I was a land surveyor by trade, and I worked mostly pipelines and power lines. I was in the desert all the time, and had boots on the ground most days of the year. I was exposed to the vastness, the public access, and the diversity of wildlife constantly. Before moving, I had no idea something like this existed. I was like a kid at Christmas when I found out [about the West]. 

WOC: Why is this area relevant to the Sublette pronghorn herd? 

Bill: We’re standing along Highway 372, and it’s a migration corridor for antelope. We’re real close to the solar project that was on Highway 372, and there are a lot of gravel pits right around here. There is a lot of industrial activity and the habitat has changed. The antelope keep coming because this is what they know. This is home. Other than the highway mortality — which we’ve seen quite a bit of since I’ve been here — I really haven’t seen a lot of winter mortality up on this plateau that Highway 372 runs down. It’s a pretty good spot for the critters to make a living.

WOC: What changes have you seen over the course of your life here watching pronghorn antelope in this area and interacting with them? 

Bill: We don’t have quite as many antelope as we did when I moved here. You can tell they’re seasonal critters. I mean, there are antelope that live here all year round, but there are definitely more antelope that show up here in the winter time.

WOC: What are some of the specific ways you’ve noticed people enjoy wildlife on the landscape? 

Bill: Antelope are easily accessed, readily available, and you can go out and see them. You can see them with their fawns, and you can see them in the winter. The community as a whole — we just enjoy them.

In Green River, there [are fewer] deer and elk on the landscape — nothing like antelope. For the hunting public, hunting antelope is perfect for kids. It’s a great opportunity for them, and I just wish we had more on the landscape so they could draw a license a little easier. 

WOC: What’s the value in protecting the Sublette Pronghorn migration corridor?

Bill: I don’t think we would have any antelope if we didn’t have the migrations. They have to follow the habitat. They have to follow the green-up — the vegetation for raising their fawns — and follow less-snowy habitat to make it through the winter. It takes miles. From the Teton Park down here to Rock Springs — there’s antelope that have been documented traveling 165 miles. 

The mountain men trappers were here 1780 to 1830 — that’s only 200 years ago. The railroad came in 1866, and the barbed wire fence came in around 1880, and Wyoming wasn’t a state until 1890. That’s 135 years ago. That’s like yesterday. These antelope have been here for centuries before that with no man-made obstructions. When you look [at] what man has put on the landscape to make it more difficult for this wildlife, you ask “where are we going to be in 20, 40, 50 years?”

It’s never going to be easier to protect these migration corridors than right now, and I think industry can live with it. I know the people of Wyoming would support that. If we could just preserve some of these wildlife corridors so that future generations can enjoy what we’ve enjoyed, and allow these antelope to reach their full habitats as they’ve done for centuries. It is just something we can’t afford to lose. Once it’s gone, I don’t know if you could get it back. 

It isn’t like you can put signs up telling the antelope where to go if they don’t know how to get there. The corridor is lost and we can’t afford to go down that path. 

I know industry and oil and gas. It’s all money, but the value of wildlife and their corridors are only going to increase. [A corridor is very valuable today], but in 50 years, migration corridors are going to be so priceless. I would hope our future generations would be very appreciative of that. It’s worth a lot.

It’s never going to be easier to protect these migration corridors than right now, and I think industry can live with it. I know the people of Wyoming would support that … It is just something we can’t afford to lose. Once it’s gone, I don’t know if you could get it back. 

— Bill Ames

WOC: What are your hopes for the future, when it comes to the ability of these animals to migrate? 

Bill: I hope that we’re able to coexist with these migration corridors. We need industry, we need oil and gas, we need right-of-ways for power lines and pipelines, but you know, we can work together. My whole life was in the oil and gas industry, and technology has changed. We have the ability to horizontal drill if we have to, and we can preserve these migration patterns to allow the animals to get where they need to survive the year, prosper, and keep their populations up. 

Still, man can develop the resources that it takes to maintain our lifestyles. It isn’t like these wildlife corridors are going to take up the whole country. It’s just a little sliver that they need to maintain their historic values. And I hope we can achieve that for them.

It’s just a little sliver that they need to maintain their historic values. And I hope we can achieve that for them.

— Bill Ames

WOC: You’ve done amazing work to preserve these corridors yourself, by getting out onto the landscape and installing gates of your own creation. What has that process looked like and where have you drawn inspiration?

Bill: Working in oil and gas from Baggs to Pinedale to Big Piney to Evanston, I saw the struggles wildlife have with fences. Fences are necessary, [especially in the agricultural industry], but are there smarter ways we can do it? Can we get these animals to cross these fences without burning a lot of extra calories pacing up and down? 

I felt fences were one of the main issues in wildlife’s struggle trying to make it through a year. ‘Drop-down fences’ with drop-down wires exist — and those are fantastic, but they’re a little labor-intensive. So I worked with the agricultural producers, and I tried to create a structure that would be acceptable to them that they could operate and have installed in their fences without much time to allow critters to cross more easily. 

I came up with a pipe design for a fence that allows an 18-inch crossing underneath, and a 27-inch-high crossbar for them to get across in the winter time, when the gate is open. We’ve installed about 20 of them so far, and this year we’re going to get a lot more installed. Hopefully we can get the volunteers to come help.

From Green River to Cora to Jackson, our Pronghorn & People series features the stories of folks who share their backyards with migrating Sublette Pronghorn — and who are hopeful this migration receives the protection it needs to endure.

Keep an eye on our blog for more. In the meantime, learn more about this migration corridor and how you can help protect these incredible animals on our Sublette Pronghorn page.

A wildlife legacy to uphold

Posted on by Meghan Riley

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. Far in the distance, bands of mule deer amble along a well-worn game trail, browsing their way towards summer pasture as the snows recede. A pair of ferruginous hawks wheel overhead in the brightening sky.

Image: ©Scott Copeland Images

It’s a scene that has played out largely unchanged for millenia. Whether today, 100 years ago, or 10,000 years ago, people have experienced the vastness and natural bounty of the Red Desert. These days, as wildlife and the lands they rely on are increasingly whittled into the margins, fewer and fewer places on Earth can offer the same. The Red Desert’s immense territory of sagebrush is a precious thing, supporting groups of species you can’t find many places in North America anymore. It is worth our time and toil to keep it whole and healthy for those who come after us.

Thankfully, we have a brief opportunity to make a big impact. With the revision of the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan by the Bureau of Land Management, the managers who oversee land use in the Red Desert are reassessing everything. The agency will carefully weigh public comments as it decides how best to manage these lands for decades to come. If we want to uphold the Red Desert’s extraordinary wildlife legacy, now is the time to speak up in favor of management directives that will help conserve the area’s exceptional natural resources.

Image: Ken Driese

The BLM is choosing between management actions that will make a real difference to the wildlife that depend on these lands for their survival. Whether you want to see the world’s longest mule deer migration persist, provide desert elk with safe birthing grounds, ensure better nest success for hawks and eagles, or see the most densely populated Greater sage-grouse habitat on the planet protected, your input during this process is critical. With foresight and careful management, generations of people and animals yet to come will be able to experience the Red Desert much the same as those who came before. The opportunity to make that careful, balanced management a reality is here — and it is up to us to speak to the values we hold dear on this landscape.

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public comment on the Rock Springs draft Resource Management Plan through January 17. To make a comment, visit our Red Desert action page. To learn more about provisions in the plan relating to wildlife, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via email.

Q&A: An Eagle-Eye View of the Red Desert

Posted on by Max Owens

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 descendents are still here — and whose voices are critical for any conversations about how this land should be managed.

While obstacles to this kind of big-picture thinking are many, the sheer scale of the landscape presents a unique challenge: At more than a half-million acres, how do you wrap your mind around an area the size of the Red Desert?

Recently, Tribal Engagement Coordinator Big Wind Carpenter worked with EcoFlight, a Colorado-based organization, to share a bigger-picture perspective of the desert … from high above, in a small 6-seater propeller plane!

During the flights, Big Wind narrated a loop over the Red Desert for Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho elders, pointing out many of the cultural resources that hold special significance for more than a dozen Tribes with connections to the land. We sat down with Big Wind to hear about their work with EcoFlight and to learn what insights might be gained from taking to the skies.

[Interview edited for length and clarity.]

Images: EcoFlight

You’ve been sharing the values of the Red Desert with others for years now, but primarily with vehicle tours. How does EcoFlight fit into the work you’ve been doing there?

You could spend your entire life exploring the Red Desert — it’s that big of a landscape. When we leave Lander on a vehicle tour, whether we’re taking elected officials, Tribal people, WOC members, or donors, we know that it’s going to be an all-day trip, because a lot of these areas have long distances between them.

For people who don’t have that time or that mobility, I think it’s important that we try to work out a different tour for them. The intention for this year’s flight was to get some Tribal elders out there. We were able to get Reba Teran, an Eastern Shoshone elder and language teacher, and Mary Headley, a Northern Arapaho elder who teaches at the Arapaho Immersion School, to join us. And then they also brought their helpers with them because they have mobility issues. We’re trying to make sure that people who have mobility issues are still able to see these places, and have these discussions.

Tell us a little about your flight path — which parts of the Red Desert did you get to see?

We did two flights that morning, and we kind of did a loop of everything north of I-80. We left the Lander airport early that morning, flew over Red Canyon, flew to where the Great Divide Basin starts over by the Oregon Buttes and the Honeycomb Buttes. Then we moved down to the Killpecker Sand Dunes and Boar’s Tusk. From there, we flew over the White Mountain petroglyphs, checked out Steamboat Mountain, and came back up through the Wind River Range.

For someone like you, who has spent so much time out in the Red Desert, what’s it like to see it from the air?

I think the Red Desert is such a special place, because it has all of these different microhabitats within the area that it covers. You have the south side of the Winds, and the sand dunes, and areas of sagebrush. The plains, the desert, and the mountains meet in this area, but you don’t understand completely until you’re thousands of feet above it. I think the EcoFlight is a very powerful tool to be able to visualize how interconnected these habitats are to one another. It’s such a beautiful thing.

Could you share some of the highlights of the flight?

Being able to see the sand dunes moving in real time was a highlight. The Killpecker Sand Dunes are the largest living sand dune field in North America. When you’re on the ground, there’s always a steady wind, and you can kind of see the sand moving. But when you have a bird’s eye, you can actually see where they’re traveling across the landscape.

Also, there were also some pretty good migrations of antelope coming down off the mountains. Especially knowing how diminished those populations are after last winter, it was amazing to see just how resilient these animals are to be migrating across the land.

What was it like to share an aerial view of the Red Desert with the elders who joined you? And with other, younger Tribal members?

For both Reba and Mary, especially as culture and language teachers, I think it was important for them to be able to tell us the names of these places, and what those names meant, and why they were named a certain way. As an Arapaho person myself, being in a situation where Mary was educating other Arapahos who didn’t know those areas was really impactful. I have Shoshone family (although I’m not a Shoshone Tribal member), so being out there with Reba and hearing their stories, hearing their names, and why they’re named those things felt very impactful to me, too.

Over a dozen Tribes have relations with that landscape: The Shoshone, the Crow, the Cheyenne, and many others have stories about that land and their connection to that landscape. Some of those Tribes, their stories go back thousands of years. So I think it’s really important that not only are those stories told, but that those stories are shared with the next generation. Not only did we have the elders, but we had young people on both of those flights who were able to hear from the elders, and I think that made this very significant.

I think that’s interesting, because you’re in a role where you’re the tour guide. But you’re also learning from your elders, too.

Yeah. I think that’s a part of our culture, as Indigenous people. We look to our elders for guidance, we look to our elders to be able to tell stories. There’s places like the Birthing Rock, and the White Mountain petroglyphs, and all these other sacred sites that are found in the Red Desert. If we don’t relay this information, it will be lost. So it’s important to ensure that our elders are able to have the space to pass on these stories to young people.

Keep up the pressure to save our sagebrush

Posted on by Meghan Riley

The Bureau of Land Management rang in the new year with a bang and has cued up a public comment doubleheader for two upcoming oil and gas lease sales. I hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to share your views on both sales with the BLM in one fell swoop!

First up, the newly proposed September lease sale would open more than 95,000 acres of public land to oil and gas development, 20 percent of which overlaps priority sage-grouse habitat. With sagebrush habitat in freefall, and ongoing sage-grouse population declines, we should be shoring up the best remaining sage-grouse habitat, not leasing it out for industrial development. Also of concern is a parcel directly adjacent to, and possibly overlapping, two Wilderness Study Areas (Alkali Basin/East Sand Dune and Red Lake) and 19 parcels in crucial winter range for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk.

COMMENT ON THE SEPTEMBER SALE

I do have some good news to share: Thanks in part to public comments from people like you, the BLM issued an Environmental Assessment that could remove 80,000 acres of public land from the June lease sale, much of which was also in priority sage-grouse habitat. Now is the time to let the BLM know that we are in favor of these deferrals. That said, dozens of parcels are still being offered in priority sage-grouse habitat along with three parcels in Wyoming’s officially designated Baggs mule deer migration corridor. I encourage you to speak up on behalf of these conservation values on our public lands.

COMMENT ON THE JUNE SALE

Your comments can be brief and highlight your own personal connection to the wildlife and landscapes in question. You may also want to highlight that:

  • The BLM has made previous commitments to avoid new surface disturbance in high priority habitat, yet both proposed sales include parcels that lie within this core sage-grouse habitat.
  • Across the West, we are losing 1.3 million acres of sagebrush habitat annually and the primary threat to sagebrush in Wyoming is development. Protecting core, healthy tracts of sagebrush habitat from disturbance is crucial to the ecosystem and benefits many other species of wildlife that depend on sagebrush.
  • More than 8 million acres of public lands in Wyoming are already leased to oil and gas companies, with 4.2 million acres sitting idle and undeveloped. Companies have ample opportunity for drilling without the BLM leasing additional parcels.

Comments on the September sale are due Jan. 19, and comments for the June sale are due Jan. 23.

Thank you for your commitment to the lands and wildlife that sustain us all!

Making your voice heard: An intern’s insight into giving testimony

Posted on by Guest Author

The following blog post was written by Shane Heavin, our 2022 summer migration policy and outreach intern.

What would it feel like to stand in front of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission and ask them to spend $2 million to create access to public lands that are landlocked by private land? As an intern for the Wyoming Outdoor Council, I did just that. And I’m here to tell you it’s not as scary as it sounds.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently made a deal with Uinta Livestock Grazing Partnership, Belle Butte Grazing Partnership, and Bear River Land and Grazing to lease approximately 91,760 acres of private lands bordering roughly 110,000 acres of public lands. The payout will be $400,000 per year for five years and will also lock in public access to the private land for an additional 25 years, ensuring 30 years of public access to public lands inside the Bear River Divide Hunter Management Area. WOC favors this deal as it provides access to public lands, and public lands are what WOC is all about. The Outdoor Council’s long history of public lands advocacy is why I spoke to the commission in support of the Bear River HMA project.

Game and Fish makes it simple to give public comments at a meeting, and there are two ways to sign up to testify. The first is to fill out an electronic form regarding the topic you want to discuss while attending the meeting via Zoom. The second way is to fill out the same document on paper while signing in to attend the meeting in person. You do not have to tell the Game and Fish Commission whether you agree or disagree with the WGFD on the subject or specifically what you want to say, just that you have an opinion you want them to hear.

My supervisor, WOC’s program director, Kristen Gunther, introduced me to WGFD personnel Sean Bibbey, who is knowledgeable about this topic and has put tremendous work into making the Bear River project a reality. I was allowed to ask questions about the undertaking and given complete information about the Bear River HMA project. This made it easy to better understand the issue and write an informed testimony to present to the commission.

The last pieces of the puzzle to effectively speaking to an authoritative group are moral support and building relationships. Moral support and building relationships are among the most significant factors in effectively addressing an audience. Kristen introduced me to several employees of the WGFD and other experts so that I could learn as much as possible about the Bear River HMA project. Kristen also helped me edit my testimony to ensure it was clear and competent. Again, the point of the testimony is not to agree or disagree with WGFD’s position but to effectively convey the interests of the Wyoming Outdoor Council. 

Kristen provided moral support by going with me to meet key members of the Bear River HMA project and was present when I testified in front of the Game and Fish Commission in support of the Bear River HMA. Kristen’s moral support also allowed me to build relationships with WGFD staff that will last well into the future. The fantastic thing about these relationships is that the people you have formed them with will also provide moral support once established. Relationships are like a snowballing effect into moral support. I am not saying that people will always agree with you, but they will want the best for you and sometimes point out things you do not see or understand that may change your point of view.

In this case, attending preceding WGFD events and meetings was a critical part of relationship building. Speaking with WGFD personnel about the subject you are interested in shows them that you are willing to put in the work to research the topic and listen to their point of view. For example, I attended all three days of July’s Game and Fish Commission meeting. Daily attendance allowed me to become more familiar with the commission members and also allowed me to meet some of the commissioners before I had to speak in front of them.

“Speaking with WGFD personnel about the subject you are interested in shows them that you are willing to put in the work to research the topic and listen to their point of view.”

— SHANE HEAVIN, migration policy and outreach intern

Studying the Bear River HMA project materials, speaking with the WGFD about the project, attending many Game and Fish meetings, and having Kristen’s support gave me the confidence I needed to convey WOC’s interest to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. 

And so, on July 19, I gave testimony to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. I  thanked the WGFD, Uinta Livestock Grazing Partnership, Belle Butte Grazing Partnership, and Bear River Land and Grazing for the work they did on this project. I also asked them to approve WGFD’s request to spend $2 million to ensure public access to public lands inside the Bear River HMA. Whether or not my testimony had any effect on the outcome, I do not know. What I do know is that the Wyoming Outdoor Council gave me the confidence I needed to testify and that my voice was heard. If my voice can be heard, so can yours. 

By the way, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission unanimously passed the request to lease public access to the Bear River HMA.

Field Notes: December updates from the Wyoming Outdoor Council

Posted on by Alan Rogers
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PLATTE VALLEY DEER NEED YOUR HELP

On December 11, the Platte Valley mule deer migration corridor working group met for the first time. The seven people appointed to the group — representing agriculture, industry, conservation and recreation — are the first corridor working group established under Gov. Mark Gordon’s migration corridor executive order. Unfortunately, the initial meeting indicated that this group will likely consider removing the Platte Valley migration corridor designation, and weakening protections for this important herd. We’ll be blunt: the governor’s office appears to be prepared to yield ground to a small, loud group of voices that oppose the designation of migration corridors. But we know that many more of you value our big game and support common sense, locally-driven conservation protections.

If the Platte Valley is a special place to you, or if you know the iconic Platte Valley mule deer herd well, we encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible. As the inaugural working group created under the governor’s order, Platte Valley will set an example for how other corridor working groups will operate in the future. And it’s important that this working group hear that the public supports science-based wildlife management that will help sustain our herds — and local wildlife economies — long into the future.

Mark your calendars for our next Conservation Cafeteria on Wednesday, January 6 — we’ll discuss the Platte Valley working group and all things migration. And if you are passionate about Platte Valley deer, please reach out to Kristen Gunther at kristen@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org.

HOBACK RV PARK RESIDENTS AT RISK

Early this month the owner of Hoback RV Park informed tenants that they can stay on site through the winter, but their water and septic connections will be cut off after December 31. Residents will have the option to hire a private company to provide septic service to their trailers. This is a slight improvement — longtime residents previously faced eviction at the end of the year — but not a workable solution for all.

The owner, Crowley Capital, faces a number of serious violations of state and county regulations stemming from an inspection of the Teton County property that was requested by the Wyoming Outdoor Council, including liquid sewage seeping up from a failed septic system, disposal of concentrated nitrate waste into an unpermitted sump on the property, discharges exceeding permitted capacity limits, and water treatment equipment that was installed without a permit.

The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the Teton County Commission have the authority to potentially fine the owners hundreds of thousands of dollars for the violations, some of which may date back 20 years and which left residents living in an unsanitary environment. The responsible parties, not their vulnerable tenants, should face the consequences, and the Outdoor Council has encouraged the regulatory agencies to work with the owners on a solution that is considerate of residents’ needs.

If you want to chip in, you can help support residents of the park with a donation through their GoFundMe page. The funds will help tenants pay for alternative septic services or the cost of moving their trailers.

RENEWABLES SITING GROUP BEGINS WORK

The Outdoor Council is taking part in the Wyoming Renewable Energy Siting Collaborative, an effort organized by the University of Wyoming to study issues related to utility-scale wind and solar energy development. Members of the group represent a wide range of interests and will be working together on policy recommendations that would minimize conflicts with wildlife, viewsheds, and other resources.

With sunny skies, plenty of wind, and a skilled workforce, Wyoming has great potential for renewable energy. But like all types of energy development, renewables projects can have unintended consequences if not sited in appropriate locations. A proactive approach to siting will help ensure future development is done right.

 

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Governor tours the Red Desert with citizens group and Outdoor Council staff

Posted on by Steff Kessler

Gov. Mark Gordon spent Thursday, June 11, visiting Wyoming’s iconic Northern Red Desert for a firsthand look at one of the state’s wildest landscapes. The tour was organized by the Wyoming Outdoor Council and our partners to familiarize the governor and his staff with some of the most beautiful and treasured corners of the desert as well as introduce him to citizens representing a variety of interests who value, work in and recreate on this important landscape. Many representatives of Citizens for the Red Desert, a grassroots group, also participated in the trip.

The Northern Red Desert contains nationally-significant cultural and ecological resources, including the greatest concentration of Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas in Wyoming, crucial winter range and migration corridors for mule deer, pronghorn, and a rare desert elk herd, North America’s largest living sand dunes, historic trails including the Oregon and Pony Express National Historic Trails, and indigenous cultural sites including petroglyphs, buffalo jumps, and other respected places. It is a vast landscape that offers a range of potential for outdoor recreation and hunting, supports ranching, and is considered the largest unfenced area in the Lower 48.

The tour was designed to provide the governor an overview of these special values. Along the way, the governor visited sites such as Whitehorse Creek and the dramatic Honeycomb Buttes wilderness study areas; visited with local rancher Jim Hellyer and his family; heard about the Oregon Trail and westward expansion from Todd Guenther, a Central Wyoming College professor and historian; and met with Rick Lee, director of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce and Bobbi Wade, a local outfitter, to discuss outdoor recreational opportunities. Jason Baldes, an Eastern Shoshone tribal member and the tribal buffalo coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation accompanied the trip to highlight the history of indigenous use and current tribal values within this landscape. John Mionczynski, an ethnobotanist and expert on the desert provided additional background on the ecology, geology and history.

Bobbi Wade, a local outfitter, discusses outdoor recreation at Chicken Springs.

The wildlife values of this landscape were in constant view, and the connection of this Red Desert habitat to what’s known as the “Golden Triangle” to the north along the Wind River Front — so named for its wealth of big game and sage-grouse populations — was highlighted by wildlife experts on the trip. Lauren Heerschap, with WyoClimbers and a Wyoming Outdoor Council board member, also shared information about the value of this landscape as the recreational scenic gateway for national and international climbers accessing renowned climbs in the Wind River Range.

Jason Baldes, an Eastern Shoshone tribal member and the tribal buffalo coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation, discusses the historical significance of the Red Desert to indigenous and current tribal members.

John Mionczynski discusses the Red Desert’s fascinating geological history in front of the Honeycomb Buttes.

The Outdoor Council is tremendously grateful for the governor’s time to take this trip, and we and others benefited from the questions and perspectives he and his natural resource and energy staff shared with us. Gov. Gordon engaged in thoughtful conversations throughout the tour, and was obviously seeking to understand this diverse landscape and the perspectives presented. 

The Red Desert is largely comprised of public lands managed by the BLM. This agency revises its management directives about every 20 years through a public planning process resulting in a resource management plan. The Red Desert’s fate is currently under debate due to the ongoing revision of the BLM’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, which will determine how 3.6 million acres of public lands, including the Red Desert, will be managed over the coming decades. Recent plan revisions from elsewhere across the West have stripped designations that protect wildlife habitat, cultural sites, and more.

It is our hope that through the direct experience of this landscape, and his conversations with people who cherish it, Gov. Gordon will see that the Northern Red Desert is a national treasure worth protecting — a place beloved by a diversity of Wyomingites for its many values and uses and deserving of a BLM management plan that will ensure its special values remain for future generations.

Gov. Mark Gordon stands with members of the tour while visiting the Northern Red Desert on June 11.

We’re working for a strong executive order to protect migration corridors — you can help

Posted on by Kristen Gunther

In late December, Gov. Mark Gordon released a draft executive order that would dictate how Wyoming designates and manages big game migration corridors. 

While the draft is an important first step and brings us closer to a long-awaited solution, it still needs revision to ensure it will include the kind of protections our migrating herds require. We’ve asked the governor to include strong, clear language protecting the most critical corridor habitat — stopover and high use corridor segments — from risky development plans, and underscore the authority of the Game and Fish Department to manage all wildlife based on science, not politics. We’ve also provided many suggestions intended to help make the implementation of the order both efficient and effective in conserving corridor habitats. 

Together with several partners, we submitted comments to the governor’s office on how the final version of the executive order could be strengthened. Other conservation groups are weighing in as well, and nearly 300 Wyomingites signed a citizen’s letter thanking Gov. Gordon for his leadership and asking for strong language protecting wildlife. 

YOUR OPINION MATTERS

There are still opportunities for you to speak up, too. The governor’s office recently announced a four-stop “listening tour” on Saturday, February 1, to discuss the executive order and answer your questions. 

  • RAWLINS | 7:30–8:30 a.m. | Carbon County Higher Ed. Center, 1650 Harshman St.
  • PINEDALE | 10–11 a.m. | Sublette BOCES, 665 N. Tyler Ave.
  • KEMMERER | 12:30–1:30 p.m. | Kemmerer Event Center, 215 Wyoming Hwy 233
  • ROCK SPRINGS | 3:15–4:15 p.m. | White Mountain Library, 2935 Sweetwater Dr.

If you get an opportunity to attend and voice your thoughts, we hope you’ll share the following:

  • Thank the governor for taking important steps to protect migration corridors. Gov. Gordon’s forthcoming executive order will mark an important step forward, and his staff and the citizens who advised him worked hard to find balance and protect critical habitat while also allowing for responsibly-sited industrial development. 
  • Express the value of big game herds and the importance of protecting their habitat. Share why you personally value your local big game herds, and what value they bring to your community. Emphasize the world-class quality of our wildlife, and the importance of conserving it for future generations. 
  • Emphasize that Wyoming people and science are in agreement: We can protect critical habitat while also developing energy resources. Gov. Gordon’s executive order will allow us to make smart decisions about where to site industrial infrastructure. By prioritizing the siting of infrastructure outside these narrow and vital corridors, we can ensure that animals can move between winter and summer range and that we protect critical habitat without diminishing the energy economy.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Research has shown us that migrating mule deer follow the same route each year, and pass on this migration knowledge from mother to fawn. Research has also shown that human development along these routes can cause disruptions, particularly at stopover points where animals pause to rest, eat, and gain strength for their long journey. Over the past three decades, we’ve seen mule deer populations decline in Wyoming by more than 30 percent, and failure to preserve the migration corridors that mule deer and other ungulates depend on as a seasonal lifeline would have lasting effects on these species. 

The future of our wildlife depends on our actions today. It’s vital that we keep working together to help establish meaningful protections for corridor habitat, because we only have one chance to get this right. That’s why we’ll keep engaging with the governor’s office until we’re satisfied the executive order offers adequate corridor protections. And we’ll fight a misguided effort in the Wyoming Legislature to undermine the entire process. 

LEGISLATIVE OVERREACH INTO WILDLIFE HABITAT 

House Bill 29, brought by the Select Federal Natural Resource Management committee, would sacrifice corridor habitat for oil and gas development, strip Game and Fish of the ability to responsibly manage big game based on science, and torpedo extensive collaborative work by stakeholders — the energy industry included.

The bill would give county commissioners, who have no authority over wildlife or the appropriate scientific expertise, the responsibility of creating migration corridor working groups. The groups would be required to consult with the Office of State Lands and Investments, the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and the Department of Revenue, among other agencies, but not the Game and Fish Department. The biologists and other experts who are responsible for managing our wildlife would be completely removed from the equation to create a process more friendly to oil and gas. Local working groups would even be empowered to amend the scientifically-defined boundaries of wildlife corridors!

If HB 29 is passed, not only will it undermine all the good faith work that stakeholders have invested in the governor’s executive order process, it will also virtually guarantee that no migration corridor can be designated in the future. That’s why we’ll be working hard during this year’s legislative session to defeat this toxic bill. And we need your help! 

CONCERNED ABOUT THE BILL? HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Attend one of our upcoming Beers & Bills events to learn more about this bill and other conservation legislation as we approach the Legislature’s 2020 budget session. 

Sign up for our email alerts to receive updates on this and other key conservation issues in Wyoming, and to learn how and when you can take action. 

Big wins in the legislative interim — but we’ve still got work to do

Posted on by Kristen Gunther

DECEMBER 2019 UPDATE: Bills for the Wyoming State Legislature’s 2020 budget session are being prepared for introduction. In the coming weeks, we’ll begin our pre-session planning — stay tuned for more details about the bills we’ll expect to see. We’re excited to support the formation of a Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund account, and we’ll continue tracking efforts around Greater sage-grouse mitigation and new channels to fund wildlife crossings from the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee. Along with those details, we’ll be keeping you posted about the best ways to engage with ongoing budget negotiations, and how to speak up against legislative attempts to interfere with big game migration corridors.

Last month, we shared an update with you about the chaos and lack of transparency that has riddled this legislative interim. We highlighted four problematic bills that would have explicitly undermined our shared Wyoming conservation values: two that would have essentially killed rooftop solar in the state; one that would have opened the door to making Wyoming the nation’s dump for nuclear waste; and another that would jeopardize big game migration corridors, undermine science-based wildlife management, and strip authority from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

You responded in force. Because of your dedicated engagement — writing to and calling legislators, showing up at committee meetings, and spreading the word about the importance of fighting these bad bills — we have some great news to report. 

Anti-solar and pro-nuclear waste bills defeated

When the legislature’s Joint Corporations Committee considered gutting the state’s net-metering law — the statute that enables homeowners and small businesses to connect rooftop solar panels to the grid — the response from the public was swift. We’ve been in touch with hundreds of you who are passionate about protecting renewable energy options for Wyoming consumers, and supporting the small but growing in-state solar industry. After hundreds of messages were sent to the committee (more messages than the committee has received on any other topic this interim); after citizens gathered around the state to discuss these bills; and after four hours of public testimony in a packed meeting room, the committee voted not to advance either anti-solar bill forward. The Wyoming people spoke up, and the committee took the time to listen — that’s right, Wyoming people won. 

Strong, spirited public opposition was also a factor in defeating a proposal to store the nation’s high-level radioactive waste in Wyoming. This “zombie” bill reflected an idea has been considered repeatedly by decision-makers in the last several decades, and defeated each time — it’s been rejected by two different governors. Analysis also quickly revealed it would bring in only a few million dollars, while posing risks to Wyoming lands and people. Once again, Wyomingites of all stripes reached out to decision-makers and to their friends and neighbors, making it clear that the Wyoming public won’t allow our state to be turned into a nuclear waste dump. And at the Joint Minerals Committee meeting earlier in November, it was clear that the public response against this bill had been heard loud and clear: the bill’s original proponent withdrew the bill wholesale. 

We are grateful to the legislators on these committees for taking the time to listen — and then respond positively to — strong, unified public input against both proposals. The successful outcomes on these bills reflect the power of Wyoming citizen voices and input: when we say that your voice matters and makes a difference, this is why. 

Still on the horizon: legislative takeover of wildlife migration management 

Unfortunately, not everything we have to share is good news. Despite strong public opposition against a Select Federal Natural Resource Management Committee bill that would derail conservation of wildlife migration corridors, the committee elected to move this bad bill forward. Stakeholders ranging from agriculture and county governments to sportsmen and conservation groups weighed in to raise concerns — both in advance and in the meeting room. A Game and Fish Commissioner objected to the idea that anyone but the Game and Fish has the authority to designate habitat, while the governor’s policy advisor said the timing for the legislation was problematic given the pending migration corridor executive order that Gov. Gordon will issue. But the committee refused to take a step back. 

That said, the public continued to make a big impression: the committee readily acknowledged that Wyoming people are incredibly invested in protecting wildlife and the landscapes that support them, and referenced the immense amount of contact they’ve received on this issue. Though the committee made some attempts to make the bill look more palatable, it remains a dangerous, anti-wildlife, and anti-science proposition. We’ll need your help to make sure this bill doesn’t move forward in Cheyenne in 2020, and that the Governor’s executive order is strong and will be successfully implemented. 

As always, thank you for all that you do to fight for good conservation policy for Wyoming. Your voice is critical — and it matters. Please stay tuned as we move toward this year’s session … we’ll need your help again!