June 2024 Newsletter

June Outings Highlights

We have an exciting slate of outings ahead! Don’t miss out – browse our June outings below and click the links to secure your spot. 

June 5 | R Park Service Project (Wilson)
Leader: Kelsey Yarzab, kelsey.yarzab@sierraclub.org or (908) 229-6124

June 6 | Spring Creek clean-up (Laramie)
Leader: Kaycee Prevedel, kaycee.prevedel@sierraclub.org or
(307) 399-4402

June 23 | Pride Month Hike (Laramie area)
Leader: Chris Folsom, chris.folsomak@gmail.com

June 29 | Coates Rd. & Gravel Pit Hike (Casper)
Leader: Conor Mullen, conor.mullen@sierraclub.org or (307) 262-4249

Can’t make an outing in June? Visit our website to check out the rest of our outings calendar! 

Campaign Updates

Speak up for sage grouse
Perhaps no other species is more intimately connected to Wyoming’s sagebrush seas than the greater sage grouse. Efforts to manage the species and keep it from becoming officially designated as endangered have been underway for decades. Still, threats from development and loss of habitat have had major impacts on the bird’s ability to maintain its population throughout the state.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency tasked with managing the majority of Wyoming’s sagebrush landscapes, has begun updating its Greater Sage-Grouse Land Use Plans, and they need to hear from you.

Please take a moment to submit a comment to the BLM and ask them for a plan that will:

• Incorporate the Little Sandy Area ACEC and Red Desert ACEC into the final plan. This would protect the “Golden Triangle”, an area with the largest population of sage grouse in the world. This new designation would also protect important migration pathways and winter range habitat for mule deer, pronghorn, and elk.
• Withdraw all oil and gas leasing from all Priority Habitat Management Areas (PHMA) to protect sage grouse and the 350 different species of wildlife that depend on WY the sagebrush steppe.
• Choose wildlife over resource extraction. Rely on the best available science to guide management decisions.

The comment period deadline is June 13th. 

Wyoming wolf management 
Following the animal cruelty incident involving a young wolf in Sublette County, the Wyoming Legislature’s Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee voted earlier this month to form a subcommittee to examine state statutes pertaining to wolves. You can read more about the subcommittee’s formation, membership, and possible direction at Wyofile. 

What can you do right now? Contact the members of the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee and thank them for creating a wolf subcommittee! You can find the committee members, along with their contact information, here. 

Elk feedgrounds management 
Earlier this month, SCWY organizer Kelsey Yarzab attended a stakeholder workshop hosted by the National Elk Refuge to discuss draft alternatives for elk and bison management on the Refuge, including feedground operations. We will have more updates to share as the revision process unfolds – reach out to Kelsey (kelsey.yarzab@sierraclub.org) to learn more and stay in the loop. 

Public Lands and Beer Night! 
Laramie locals, the Public Lands and Wildlife (PL&W) volunteer team is now hosting in-person meetings twice a month! Join our local organizer, Kaycee Prevedel (kaycee.prevedel@sierraclub.org), and Laramie activists on June 11, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at Coal Creek Downtown. We’ll discuss Wyoming buffalo restoration, advocacy for wildlife bridges, and local opportunities to connect with nature.

Clean Air for National Parks and Wilderness 
It’s no secret that burning fossil fuels is a leading contributor to air pollution. Particulate matter from coal power plants, car exhaust, and oil and gas development harms our lungs and muddies our skies. This haze pollution might be most apparent in our national parks and wilderness areas, where expansive vistas and fresh mountain air should be readily available.

​​​​​​Right now, we’re entering a moment where we’ll have a chance to protect our most cherished viewsheds for years to come. In the coming months, the EPA is set to decide how haze pollution is regulated in Wyoming. Learn more about the EPA's “Regional Haze Program” and how you can get involved by catching up on our most recent webinar.

(webinar password: $?WMEr84)

I hope to see you on the trail soon! 

Cheers,
Rob Joyce
Chapter Director
Sierra Club Wyoming