fbpx

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Defending your public lands at our nation’s capital

Posted on by Gabby Yates

For Wyomingites, it can be hard to picture the hustle and bustle that occurs in Washington D.C., the seat of our nation’s government, where all our laws and policies are formed. Even more difficult can be tracking these intricate workings as Congress works to pass laws that will support their current political agenda. 

Politics and processes aside, most Wyomingites can agree that our vast public lands are the reason that many of us live here (and not in D.C.) — and that any efforts to threaten future access are an affront to our way of life. Last week, I had the privilege of traveling to our nation’s capital to advocate for protecting our public lands from these threats to defund and dismantle our public lands. 

In February, we witnessed major staffing cuts to the federal agencies tasked with managing our public lands, forests, and national parks. In the face of a growing recreation and tourism industry, and decades of budget cuts to several vital agencies, these short-sighted reductions in force have many of us wondering just how our public lands will be appropriately managed. 

Luckily, Wyomingites of all walks of life spoke up and I was proud to hand-deliver a printed letter to Wyoming’s Congressional delegation that over 1,200 citizens signed, opposing these mass federal agency layoffs. The message was well received, but our work to see our public lands stewarded for future generations is far from over. 

In addition to the risks caused by our land management agencies being under-staffed and under-funded, a larger threat looms in the form of some members of Congress being dead set on selling our federal public lands, calling the sale of public lands a “great idea.” 

In response to the threat, U.S. Senators voted on an amendment brought by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico) late on Friday, April 4, that would have prevented the sell-off of lands from being included in Congress’ upcoming budget reconciliation. 

Our lawmakers had the opportunity to protect our public lands from being sold off to pay for future tax cuts — and, unfortunately, they failed to do so.  The amendment died on a 48–52 vote, leaving the threat of land sell-off on the table. Even more unfortunate was the fact that both Wyoming Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis voted against the amendment.

To put it bluntly, the threats to our public lands have never been greater. With the potential sale of federal lands being included in this upcoming budget package and more federal agency layoffs right around the corner, we need Wyomingites to keep speaking up on these issues so that our delegation hears them. Now more than ever, those of us who love our public lands need to fight to ensure they remain and are well stewarded. 

If you haven’t signed or shared our open citizens sign-on letter defending our public lands stewards, please sign below, or consider contacting your Congressional representatives today to let them know that you value our public lands far too much for them to be sold off. Some things just aren’t for sale. As always, thanks for speaking up and stay tuned for more ways that you can help protect the best things about Wyoming.

SIGN THE LETTER!

BREAKING: Game & Fish Department moves forward with Sublette Pronghorn migration corridor designation

Posted on by Max Owens

Press Release

LANDER, WYOMING (March 4, 2025) — Yesterday, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department announced a new phase in the process to designate the Sublette Pronghorn migration corridor, releasing a comprehensive Biological Risk and Opportunity Assessment. This report outlines specific threats to migration and opportunities for conservation along 10 discrete segments of the migration corridor. This marks an important step in the process to officially designate the migration corridor, initiating a formal public comment period that runs through May 2.

In response, the Wyoming Outdoor Council issued the following statement:

“We at the Wyoming Outdoor Council congratulate Department biologists on their thorough analysis of the Sublette Pronghorn migration. The Biological Risk and Opportunity Assessment clearly demonstrates the need to designate this migration corridor,” Meghan Riley, wildlife program manager for WOC, said. “The level of detail, not to mention the years of data and work, that went into this assessment are truly astounding.”

After the harsh winter of 2022–23 drastically reduced the Sublette herd’s population, alleviating pressure from development in key migratory habitat is imperative for its recovery. Animals that were able to migrate further south experienced higher survival rates than pronghorn that overwintered to the north, clearly demonstrating the need to protect connectivity between seasonal ranges.

“This population took a huge hit, especially in the north of the herd’s range. Recovery is slow-going and precarious, given existing and anticipated threats to corridor functionality,” Riley said. “With widespread public support for conserving this herd’s migratory habitat, it is our hope that the Game and Fish Commission heeds the call to protect this storied herd of pronghorn for current and future generations to enjoy.”

Following an analysis of public comments, Game and Fish will present its case for designation to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission at their July meeting. At this time, commissioners will vote on whether or not to recommend designation of the Sublette Pronghorn migration corridor to the governor.

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.