Uncategorized

Nearly every day, our staff travels around the state to talk to citizens, meet with agency staff, and advocate with policy makers. And the trusty old Subaru that’s been getting us there is on its last legs. To keep us safely covering the map, we need something a little more up to date and dependable.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR A VEHICLE WITH:
• Low mileage
• All-wheel drive (obviously!)
• Fuel efficiency
• Four doors and some carrying capacity (a wagon or small SUV)

Got a car to donate that might fit the bill? Want to make us an offer? Give us a call at 307.332.7031.

 

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.100″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.100″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.100″]In January 2018, Dustin Bleizeffer joined the Outdoor Council as its new Communications Director, a role that will enable Dustin to strengthen our communications capacity, grow our influence and effectiveness in the state, and expand our network of engaged citizens through communications, marketing, and media relations. Outdoor Council director Lisa McGee has followed Dustin’s career for a long time. “His thoughtful and thorough coverage of many of the issues we address—from public lands and energy to public health—has impressed me,” she said. “The insights and skills he brings to the Outdoor Council will help us communicate more effectively about our work, reach new audiences, and ultimately affect change. I’m so happy to welcome him to our staff.” Below is a short bio for Dustin, and a few questions we asked him to get to know him better. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming him to the Outdoor Council—you’ll be hearing more from him soon! In the meantime, you can reach out to Dustin at dustin@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org or 307.267.3327.

---

 
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.100″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Dustin Q&A” _builder_version=”3.0.100″ custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px”]

Dustin grew up in Gillette and worked in the energy service industry before earning his journalism degree at the University of Wyoming. He cut his teeth as a reporter at the Gillette News-Record and worked 10 years as energy reporter at the Casper Star-Tribune. He covered the coal-bed methane gas boom, from the rollicking early days when hundreds of amateur producers rushed into the Powder River Basin, to the bust when thousands of wells were abandoned for the state to clean up. His reporting was integral to reformations of the state’s split-estate mineral ownership laws, and he helped shine a light on the pitfalls of poorly managed energy development. He became editor-in-chief of WyoFile in 2010 and helped grow the fledgling organization into Wyoming’s premier in-depth, nonprofit news organization. Dustin spent 2016 and 2017 at Stanford University as a John S. Knight Journalism fellow, where his work inspired a project to build interdisciplinary teams of science, technology, and journalism experts who engage with and respond to communities of the rural American West as they take on local challenges. He lives in Casper with his wife, Kristy.

When did you develop an interest in conservation?

Early, when I was growing up in Gillette and spent a lot of time fishing with my father and his friends from the coal mine. Sometimes they’d talk about how surface mining methods in the Powder River Basin were less disruptive than mining in Appalachia where they removed mountain-tops and filled in valleys. That blew my mind as a concept — mountaintop removal. But they also worried about whether emissions from coal and whether their jobs that paid well and allowed them to enjoy Wyoming’s outdoors might also be harmful. When I first started reporting about global warming I had a lot of interesting conversations with friends and family in Gillette. I quickly realized that the best I could do is educate myself and seek out the best science-based information possible — to never back down from the truth, to listen carefully and respect people’s concerns for how policy decisions are often driven by power rather than reason.

What has surprised you most about working as a journalist in Wyoming?

Definitely it was, and still is, how mythologies die hard. Perhaps I was a little naive, but when I started out reporting I was shocked at how people assumed that if you were from Wyoming you were politically conservative. Same with attitudes toward the federal government — that Wyoming is a fiercely independent live-and-let-live state constantly mistreated by the “feds.” Yet when you spend time with just about anybody — at kitchen tables, in the field, and in meeting rooms — you discover an eagerness to find solutions. Wyoming people want to be heard, and they want to be respected for the knowledge and experience they bring to these discussions.

What excites you most about working at the Outdoor Council?

I get to work with an incredibly talented and driven staff that’s solutions-oriented, but doesn’t back down from Tom Bell’s vision: to conserve Wyoming’s landscapes for the enjoyment of current and future generations. As editor-in-chief of WyoFile, I had the opportunity to step outside of beat reporting and learn how to work as a team and to be more responsive to the public. The Outdoor Council excels at engaging with its members, and I think you’ll see a more visible Outdoor Council as we grow our ability to connect people to a cause and a call to action.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

The Wyoming Outdoor Council board of directors is proud to announce it has named long-time conservation leader Lisa McGee as the organization’s new executive director.

McGee had been serving as interim director and she replaces former Executive Director Gary Wilmot who left the Outdoor Council in November to pursue an opportunity with the National Outdoor Leadership School.

“The Wyoming Outdoor Council board is thrilled to announce that Lisa McGee has agreed to serve as our new executive director,” said Paige Smith, WOC board member and head of the organization’s executive director search committee. “Lisa has been one of the most successful and collaborative conservation leaders in Wyoming for more than a decade. She understands Wyoming and she understands what it takes to get the job done here.”

McGee, who previously served as the Outdoor Council’s program director, said she is excited for the opportunity and also feels humbled to be leading such a dedicated and talented staff.

“I am honored and proud to have been chosen to lead one of the most effective and respected conservation organization in Wyoming,” McGee said. “We were founded in 1967 to protect Wyoming’s environment and quality of life—and that mission seems to get more important every year. I’m excited to lead our talented team as we work with citizens to protect our public lands, wildlife, clean air and water, and our outdoor way of life.”

Mike Burd, long-time partner and spokesperson for Citizens for the Wyoming Range, was excited about the news.

“Lisa is perfect for this position,” Burd said. “She has the knowledge, the heart, the dedication, and the passion to carry on the legacy that Tom Bell started to protect the special places in Wyoming for sportsmen and all citizens in our state and in the country.”

Lisa joined the Outdoor Council as a legal intern in 2003, and returned in 2005, after completing law school at the University of Wyoming and a judicial clerkship in Alaska, to direct the organization’s parks and forests program. In this role she was a lead partner in some of Wyoming’s proudest conservation successes. A 10-year forest plan revision resulted in critical habitat and recreation protections on the Shoshone National Forest. Her effective advocacy kept inappropriate oil and gas leasing and development off the Shoshone, and ensured backcountry roadless area protections for irreplaceable landscapes like Francs Peak, Wood River and the Dunoir.

McGee also helped lead the grassroots effort to stop improperly offered oil and gas leases in the Wyoming Range, and helped bring citizens together with elected officials to find a lasting solution. In 2009, the Wyoming Range Legacy Act passed, protecting 1.2 million acres in the Bridger-Teton National Forest from future oil and gas leasing. Three years later, after working with Citizens for the Wyoming Range and other conservation partners, the “Don’t Frack the Hoback” campaign led to the buyout and permanent retirement of leases slated for a 136-gas well development at the headwaters of the wild and scenic Hoback River. More than 1,000 individual citizens contributed to the $8.75 million needed to purchase and retire the nearly 60,000 acres of federal oil and gas leases.

For the past four years Lisa has lead the Wyoming Outdoor Council’s team of talented program staff to notable victories. As part of the Keep it Public, Wyoming coalition, the Outdoor Council helped defeat several attempted bills and a constitutional amendment that would have paved the way for state takeover of public lands. The Council also led the effort to find a solution for an antiquated sewage lagoon system at Brooks Lake Lodge on the Shoshone National Forest that contributed to one of the largest fish kills ever documented in Wyoming. As a result of WOC’s advocacy, the lodge agreed to install a state-of-the-art system that won’t leach nutrients into the lake. The Outdoor Council also advocated and supported what became one of the strongest state rules in the country requiring oil and gas companies to undertake baseline water testing prior to and after drilling. And the organization also worked with citizens in the Pinedale area, state agencies and officials, and the oil and gas industry to address dangerous levels of ground-level ozone and to implement improved pollution controls to protect public health.

 

This year, the Outdoor Council tried something new with our annual calendar photo contest. We allowed submissions via Instagram, and we are proud to say it was an overwhelming success! In addition to our traditional email submissions, we received over 700 Instagram entries with the hashtag #WOC50th. It was a great way to connect to a larger, online community as well as to see stunning images of the values we work so hard to protect—Wyoming’s clean air, clean water, thriving habitats, and wild public landscapes.

Thanks to everyone who participated. With your help, we were able to feature scenes from places we’ve not been able to easily capture in the past: Park County, the Snake River, landscapes in and around Rock Springs. We were also delighted to see all the people represented in many of the photos—folks who were not only taking the time to enjoy the outdoors, but also thinking about how to make sure these landscapes stay protected for generations.

Keep an eye on your mailbox next month for the calendar and be sure to start thinking  about the great adventures you’ll take and the pictures you’ll snap for next year. Sign up for our emails so you’ll be the first to know when we begin the search for 2019’s photos.

THIS YEAR’S WINNERS

David Wade
Nick Knoke
Jason Garza
Cathy Bradford
Krissy Borcher
Scott Copeland
Mindy Clancy
Sam Beebe
Peter Mangolds
Shannon Scott
Beth Holmes
Ian Cadena
Cinthia Hayford
Kyle Aiton
Ed Sherline
Dan Barry
Katelyn Ford
Bill Sincavage
Tamara Rodgers

 

The Legislature’s Joint Interim Corporations Committee is meeting in Lander next week on Monday, May 9, and Tuesday, May 10. The Wyoming Outdoor Council will be making a formal presentation on the underutilized potential of solar energy in the state’s energy mix.

The presentation will highlight future opportunities for market expansion, job growth, and economic diversification. We will recommend removing some of the  regulatory barriers to solar energy growth and advocate a study of the opportunities for this economic sector in Wyoming.

The committee starts its meeting on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Lander Inn and we anticipate that this topic will be first on the agenda that day. We welcome you to come and listen, and comment to the committee if you’d like! The morning’s session should conclude by noon that day.

As you may already be aware, Fremont County Solid Waste Disposal District is considering a reduction in the recycling services offered in Lander. This comes at the recommendation of a county recycling committee as the county faces budget challenges.

If adopted, the change would remove glass, paper, and plastic recycling, while continuing to allow free recycling of tin, aluminum, scrap metals, and hazardous materials (paint, batteries, motor oil, antifreeze, electronic waste, etc.).

The Outdoor Council has a long history of supporting recycling in Fremont County. Our members value the ability to divert waste from the landfill, reduce the use of more virgin materials, and save money by reducing the amount of trash we take to the landfill.

According to the Solid Waste District, current recycling efforts in Fremont County result in about a 5 percent diversion from the landfill. The current cost to the county for recycling is $600,000 per year, which is 14 percent of the Solid Waste District’s annual budgeted expenses. In the eyes of the county, this results in a disproportionate ratio of expense to benefit. For reference, the cost to manage one ton of standard waste (garbage) is $80. The cost to manage one ton of recyclables is $320/ton. Fremont County residents currently pay 4 cents per pound at the landfill, which covers the cost of managing our trash. Comparatively, the full cost to the county for recycling, not including any income the county may get from the recyclables, is 16 cents per pound.

Please take a moment to answer the following questions before March 21 to help inform the board’s decision, which could be made later this month. Find the entire survey here.

The grand opening of a new World War II bombardier display at the Lander Pioneer Museum, featuring donations from Wyoming Outdoor Council founder Tom Bell, will take place on Saturday, August 2.

The public is invited to a reception at the museum from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Light refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Tom Bell grew up on a ranch outside of Lander during the Great Depression. He was descended from Civil War soldier Edward Alton, who moved to Milford, Wyoming, in 1878.

Bell is a decorated World War II veteran, who flew with the 15th of the U.S. Army’s Air Forces on bombing missions throughout central and southern Europe. He successfully completed 32 combat sorties and earned the rank of 1st Lieutenant with the 455 Bombardment Group.

He was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action on May 2 1944. On May 10, 1944, Lieutenant Bell was bombardier of a B-24 on a mission to bomb an enemy aircraft factory in Austria, when he was severely wounded by a burst of flak, causing him to lose his right eye and suffer shock and loss of blood.

When he returned home he found sanctuary in Wyoming’s wide-open spaces. Bell attended the University of Wyoming where he earned a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree in wildlife conservation and game management. His course of study emphasized ecology and zoology.

Bell said he founded the Wyoming Outdoor Council because, by the mid-1960s, he could no longer ignore the threats facing his “beloved homeland.”

He has now donated his medals, uniform and other items to the Lander Pioneer Museum.

“This display is in recognition of Tom’s illustrious service to his country,” said Randall Wise, visitor service coordinator for the Pioneer Museum. “We also want to honor him for all his work at this museum and in the service of the history of the Lander Valley. If it wasn’t for Tom’s years of dedication and research, much of the history of this area would be lost.”

Bell’s artifacts will become part of the museum’s armed forces exhibit on the second floor.

“This is a great addition to our museum,” said Curator Connie Shannon. “It’s especially significant since Tom is a Lander native. This display will tell his heroic story.”

Tom taught science and Wyoming history in Lander for many years. He is also a renowned local historian and the former author of the Wind River Mountaineer.

For more information please call the museum at  307-332-3373.

Recognizing the importance of water in Wyoming—and the fact that states throughout the West expect more frequent shortages of freshwater in the coming years—Governor Matt Mead is developing a statewide water strategy. There are 59 potential initiatives that resulted from numerous listening sessions hosted around the state last fall. These have been published and the state is seeking input from citizens to help narrow that number to just a few that will receive priority. Until August 4th, you can provide your input via four short surveys distributed by Governor Mead’s office.

The Outdoor Council believes Wyoming needs a strategy that ensures water is available to future generations, but also one that is farsighted enough to conserve the fish, wildlife, and other resources we enjoy today. That’s why we hope you’ll join us in (1) voicing opposition to two initiatives that would be especially bad for Wyoming and (2) supporting some of the better possible water strategy initiatives.

READ MORE:

Two Dam Proposals On The Upper Green River Would Be Bad for Wyoming

Although the state must identify ways to ensure the availability of future water supplies, the Outdoor Council believes water conservation and protection should be our focus.

New dam construction doesn’t make sense for Wyoming. Good dam locations are limited by geography and today the most viable locations have already been developed or are off-limits for good reasons. In fact, many states these days are dealing with the long-term problems of poorly sited dams and are now working to remove them. Yet, there are proposals in the Governor’s water strategy to build several new dam projects in Wyoming. We are most concerned about two large projects considered for the iconic Upper Green River: One near the headwaters of the Green, at the foot of the Wind River Range and the other at Warren Bridge, near Pinedale.

You can let Governor Mead know that you oppose these proposed dams by CLICKING HERE TO TAKE THE GOVERNOR’S WATER DEVELOPMENT SURVEY. You’ll be able to rank the Warren Bridge Dam Permitting and Green River Lakes Reservoir as well as other dam proposals as “not favorable” (1 on the scale). You can also send your own personal comments to the Governor’s Office until August 4^th.

To read more about these proposals and the risks they pose to fish, wildlife, and iconic landscapes in northwest Wyoming, click HERE.

Several Initiatives are Worthy of Support

The Outdoor Council has highlighted four of several measures—these are the ones we proposed to Governor Mead during community listening sessions last year—that we believe are among the initiatives most likely to create a proactive, conservation-based water management strategy capable of adding security to the future of Wyoming’s resources. These include:

• Unified Public Database — All water quality and quantity data should be available in a single location and database. This initiative would require legislative funding and guidance to bring all water and climate data from agencies on quality, quantity, surface and groundwater into a single database.
• Groundwater Analysis and Control — This initiative would seek changes in rule or statute so that areas would automatically become Groundwater Control Areas if groundwater use outstrips recharge It would also result in cooperative studies, led by the State Engineer, to explore the agreements, assurances, regulations, and markets that can be leveraged to manage use and demand within the areas.
• Temporary Use Protection Policies — This initiative would develop appropriate mechanisms to increase flexibility for temporary use transfers without the risk of a given water right holder losing his/her right. Temporary water use agreements can only be utilized for 4 years due to the risk of abandonment. This initiative would protect the original quantity and use for a longer duration as long as the short-term use was truly temporary and resulted in no harm to other users.
• Credible Climate Weather and Stream Flow Data — Attention to climate and water will increase over time. In order to prepare for questions and challenges, Wyoming needs robust scientific data. This initiative would result in work to fund additional climate and stream flow data collection throughout the state.

Please help us by taking Governor Mead’s Water Management Survey and rating these four initiatives immediately above as “highly favorable” (10 on the scale).

You can view the rest of the possible initiatives here, where you’ll find other positive measures such as: Drought and Climate Variability Planning, Surface Water Recharge Areas (underground water storage), an Ecosystem Services Pilot, a Watershed Management Incentives Program, and a Major Conveyance Task Force Project (to repair leaking/malfunctioning/outdated irrigation infrastructure).

Please Help!

Your input can be given on each of the 59 possible initiatives by taking all four surveys, as well as by writing to the Governor’s office. Comment and survey responses will be accepted until August 4^th.