Wyoming Policy Update

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Wyoming Sage-Grouse Executive Order

Public Input Requested

Due April 8, 2019

Governor Gordon is interested in suggestions that may be used to update the Sage-Grouse Executive Order. Sage-Grouse Implementation Team Chairman Bob Budd asks to please use the existing SGEO as the base document to work from. Rather than word-smithing it, we recommend you focus on pointing out the specific areas that you think need clarification and explain why. We ask that you please explain the issues you see with the content and be specific as to what section or page number you’re referring to.

Comments should be submitted via email to | wgfd.hpp@wyo.gov | Comments are due by April 8th

 

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Public Meeting Opportunities

Wyoming Wildlife Ambassador, Chris Peterson crafts his public comment | Landon Blanchard

 

Upper Snake River Basin | Thursday, March 7, 8:30am | Jackson WGFD Regional Office

South Central | Wednesday March 13, 1:00 pm | Saratoga – Platte Valley Community Center

Southwest | Monday, March 18, 9:00 am | Green River – WGFD Regional Office

Northeast | Tuesday March 19, 9:30 am | Buffalo – BLM Field Office

Bighorn Basin | Thursday March 21, 9:30 am | Worland – Washakie Co. Fairgrounds

Bates Hole/Shirley Basin | Thursday March 28, 10:00 am | Casper – WGFD Regional Office

Upper Green River Basin | Friday March 29, 2:00 pm | Pinedale – WGFD Regional Office

Wind River/Sweetwater River Basin | Monday April 1, 1:00 pm | Lander – WGFD Regional Office

 

Talking Points for Greater Sage-Grouse Executive Order (EO) 2015-4

  1. Keep the management prescriptions the same. This includes management identified in the EO making up the Sage-Grouse Core Area Protection Strategy.
  2. There is a hierarchical management approach for reducing harm to quality sage-grouse habitat – avoid harm, minimize harm, and when core-area grouse management has been met and exceeded, the operator must compensate financially for their harm. The State of Wyoming developed a document regarding the financial circumstance and that document produced on July 10, 2017 and the table produced on Oct. 28, 2018 need to be included in Governor Gordon’s EO.
  3. Include additional language on monitoring, reporting, and data collection. The state needs to clarify and account for, on a range-wide basis, their use of exceptions, waivers, modifications, and exemptions. If Wyoming knows how many exceptions are given to allow for an operator to be physically present and active during mating season, for example, they will have a better understanding of bird impacts and it will guide their future decisions for other exception requests.

 

[button open_new_tab=”true” color=”accent-color” hover_text_color_override=”#fff” size=”jumbo” url=”https://wyolegacy.org/news/2019/2/18/greater-sage-grouse-in-wyoming” text=”Learn More | Wyoming Conservation Legacy” color_override=””]