About The Wyoming Outdoor Council
Mission Statement
The mission of the Wyoming Outdoor Council is to protect Wyoming’s environment and quality of life for future generations.
Who We Are
The Wyoming Outdoor Council is a nonprofit, 501(c)3, conservation organization. Established in 1967, the Wyoming Outdoor Council is the state's oldest statewide conservation organization.
We are Wyoming people who love the outdoors. The size of our big-game herds rivals the size of our human population, and most of us choose to live here because of easy access to public lands, wildlife, clean air and water, and opportunities for outdoor recreation. These things define us as a people and help support our economy and quality of life.
We believe it is our responsibility as citizens to be good stewards of Wyoming's treasured landscapes, to sustain its healthy wildlife populations, to maintain clean rivers and streams, to safeguard the air we breathe, and to preserve Wyoming's outdoor heritage for future generations.
Our Story
Since 1967, the Wyoming Outdoor Council has protected Wyoming's environment and quality of life. In that time we have served as advocates, coalition builders, problem solvers, and legal experts. We have the experience to see the big picture; have a track record of bringing the players to the table to find solutions; and we aren't afraid to think about new directions that we must take to achieve our mission.
The Council seeks to maintain balance between protecting our state's natural heritage and developing its energy resources. We work to ensure that all types of energy development are regulated carefully so other values of these lands—such as critical wildlife habitat, fisheries, and recreational opportunities—are passed on, as a legacy, to those who come after us.
Strategic Plan
The Wyoming Outdoor Council’s plan began more than forty years ago with the founding of the Council itself. Since that day in Tom Bell’s kitchen, our work has been guided by one goal: to ensure the Wyoming we love is the Wyoming we leave to future generations.
The following plan delivers that vision through 2013 and is informed by input from hundreds of people. In 2007-2008, we underwent these steps to prepare the plan: We hosted our largest-ever conference in celebration of our 40th anniversary, gathering observations from attendees and speakers; conducted an online membership survey; and interviewed dozens of stakeholders, including lawmakers, conservationists, agency personnel, industry reps, funders, past board members, and our own staff.
These conversations showed us that across the board, people agree on the necessity of the mission of the Council: to protect Wyoming's environment and quality of life for future generations. The opportunity we have before us now is to help shape an energy policy that drives the economy, respects the tradition of multiple use on public lands, and leaves Wyoming thriving with wildlife, open space, clean air and water, and healthy communities.
The three mandates of the plan are to (1) protect Wyoming's heritage landscapes, preventing energy development in these areas; (2) ensure that development is done in the right places, at the right pace, and with protections for air, water, and wildlife; and (3) influence national and state energy policy to promote a sustainable energy future.
To tell us what you think of our five-year plan, please write to us at info@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org.
Download a PDF of The Council’s Plan for Achieving Balance here.