Next step is an executive order by the governor
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After reviewing
the recommendations posed by the
Governor’s Big Game Migration Corridor
Advisory Group following its final meeting
in Pinedale, the governor himself released
them to the public on Monday.
Gov. Mark Gordon thanked the advisory
group that represented interests of counties,
agriculture, wildlife, outdoor recreation,
conservation, energy and mining in his Sept.
9 statement. Group member Kevin Williams
of Pinedale Energy Partners represented the
oil and gas industry.
On the second and final day of the advisory
group’s Pinedale meeting, the governor’s
senior policy advisor Renny MacKay
wrote down and read back the recommendations
on which the group agreed while asking
for “teeth” to protect big game migration
corridors, particularly those of mule deer.
“I want to thank members of the advisory
committee for their efforts,” Gov. Gordon
said. “They accepted the challenge of
working collaboratively to identify potential
solutions that would both conserve our
wildlife and support our economy through
multiple uses of public lands. This is what
we do in Wyoming. I look forward to reviewing
the recommendations and receiving
feedback about them.”
The first step advised by the group is that
Gov. Gordon establishes an executive order
that encompasses and implements their recommendations.
“The core aim of the recommendations
is to have all types of development outside
of corridors as a first priority,” said Michael
Pearlman of the Governor’s Office. “Inside
corridors, the goal is to ensure the continued
functionality and health of the corridors as
well as the big game herds that use them.”
Designation process
The group asked Gov. Gordon and Wyoming
Game and Fish to switch up the official
designation process, for example the steps
that led to designation of the Red Desert to
Hoback Mule Deer Migration Route. Group
members voiced concerns the public and
county governments were not involved early
enough in that process.
On the table are two proposed big-game
migration corridors that overlap parts of
Sublette County – the Sublette Pronghorn
Herd Migration Corridor and the Wyoming
Range Mule Deer Herd Migration Corridor.
“The advisory group recommends that
designation comes after stakeholder engagement
and a risk assessment,” the report
states. “Previously, the risk/opportunity
assessment followed the designation. We
not only recommend flipping the order, but
want to ensure that the dialogue in advance
of designation is robust and not perfunctory.
To aid with robust consultation, the advisory
group recommends creating locally based
and corridor-specific working groups.
With the goal to engage county governments
early on in a designation process, the
group recommended that county planners
and commissioners get templates while considering
land-use language changes that are
“consistent with the executive order.”
Proposed process
First, proposed migration corridors would
be identified by Game and Fish, the group
recommended. “Identification to this point
has largely been accomplished by reviewing
and analyzing big game movement data and
depicting these movements on a map after
running a scientific analysis to determine if
… a corridor might exist and where components
of that corridor are found.”
Game and Fish would then actively and
specifically engage with public and private
landowners, government agencies and interested
parties about this specific corridor. At
this point county commissioners could select
and appoint local working group members.
Next, the group and stakeholders would pass
on their findings, conservation opportunities
and potential risks and impacts to wildlife
and habitat if the proposed route was officially
designated. Game and Fish would
develop its opportunity and risk assessment
for the governor and if designation was approved,
a local working group would “transition
to management phase.”
Local working groups
A local working group for specific corridors
should reflect the “overall demographic
of this advisory group” with a wide range of
interests, it continues.
County commissioners could select a
committee from applicants who “need to
have qualifications, expertise and be from
the region.”
The local working group should also participate
in developing policies for energy
development, public land lease and provide
feedback and recommendations to the Governor’s
Office.
The advisory group recommended that
the “management phase” include education
on best practices, connecting stewardship
opportunities, managing “incentive programs,”
representing corridor interests at
many levels and “evaluate new science and
data as it emerges.”
For more
To read Gov. Gordon’s “Migration Corridor
Advisory Group Recommendations,”
meeting minutes and reports, go to https://
sites.google.com/view/wywildlifemigrationadvisorygrp/
home.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
meets Monday, Sept. 16, around 2:30
p.m. and again Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 8 a.m.
in the Pinedale Library’s Lovatt Room.
Deputy Director Angi Bruce is scheduled to
present the recommendations from 3:45 to
4:15 p.m.