YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM/UPPER GREEN RIVER VALLEY
Elk salt baits reclaimed in the Bridger-Teton. This summer, ten illegal elk salt bait sites located in the Thorofare area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest near Yellowstone National Park were reclaimed by volunteers from the Wyoming Outdoor Council, Taylor Outfitting of Dubois, and Forest Service personnel.

Salt baits have been used in the Teton Wilderness for decades as a way to lure elk in to hunters. The practice appalls many who consider it unethical both for its lack of fair-chase and for the damage it causes to the land. Elk congregate around the bait site causing soil erosion and extensive damage to vegetation and native forage. They also become easy targets for hunters.

Recognizing the problems associated with salt baiting, the Forest Service issued a special order in 1990 prohibiting the practice in national forests. In 2001, the Wyoming State Legislature strengthened that order by enacting a law that precludes hunters from shooting big game animals over bait. But in spite of these laws, a few hunting guides have continued to put out salt furtively—presumably in order to guarantee their clients an easy shot.

To help deal with the problem, the Bridger-Teton National Forest has increased wilderness ranger patrols to educate the public, reclaim the salt bait pits, and enforce regulations. Three outfitters have been cited and fined for taking a big game animal over a salt bait site in the past year.

We support the Wyoming Game Fish Department and Bridger-Teton National Forest for their efforts to enforce state law and the special order prohibiting salt baiting. Most importantly, both the Forest Service staff and the volunteers who pitched in deserve a huge thanks for reclaiming these salt bait sites. Contact: Meredith Taylor.

Fighting for critical winter range. The Bureau of Land Management has approved Questar’s request to drill over the winter on the Pinedale Anticline in the Upper Green River Valley. The Pinedale Anticline is crucial winter range for mule deer and has been closed to drilling in the past for this reason. The Wyoming Outdoor Council has opposed winter drilling because of its potential to have adverse, unforeseen impacts on mule deer. In spite of our concerns with the BLM’s decision, we are pleased with the mitigation measures Questar has agreed to and would like to see these applied to all drilling on the Pinedale Anticline. Contact: Marisa Martin.

Bridger-Teton Forest Plan Revision will determine the forest’s next 20 years. Yet another public lands management plan is up for revision in the near future. In 2005 Bridger-Teton National Forest is scheduled to come out with a new plan to guide its forest management. Be on the look out for ways you can be involved in shaping the future of the forest. Contact: Marisa Martin and Meredith Taylor.

Pinedale Resource Management Plan Revision delayed. The release of a draft resource management plan for the BLM’s Pinedale Resource Area, which was originally scheduled for November 2004, has been delayed until April 2005. The Wyoming Outdoor Council is working with the Upper Green River Valley Coalition to encourage community outreach efforts and to move Wyoming people to comment on the plan once it is released. Contact: Marisa Martin.

Protecting Wyoming’s Grizzly Bear. The Wyoming Outdoor Council has begun a campaign encouraging the public to get involved in drafting Wyoming’s plan for managing grizzly bears once they are removed from the Endangered Species List. Public meetings will be held around the state later this year. Be on the lookout for action alerts about this issue. Contact: Meredith Taylor.

Wyoming Range Redux
South Piney Natural Gas Development Project proposes CBM wells along Wyoming Range. Infinity Oil & Gas of Wyoming, Inc. and other operators propose to drill 210 coalbed methane wells along the eastern flank of the Wyoming Range, west of Big Piney. A draft environmental impact statement is expected in November or December, with a 60-day public comment period to follow. If you want to be on the mailing list for this environmental impact statement, call the BLM Pinedale Field Office. Contact: Bruce Pendery.

Riley Ridge Oil and Gas Development. Interest has revived in yet another natural gas development near Wyoming Range. The Riley Ridge oil and gas field is located on Riley Ridge southwest of Big Piney. It is an area of mixed sagebrush, aspen and conifer forests that serves as a gateway to the Wyoming Range and is used by the imperiled Canada lynx and the rare Colorado River cutthroat trout. There is a relatively small existing oil and gas field in this area that was approved in the 20-year-old Riley Ridge Environmental Impact Statement.

After being somewhat quiet for many years, holders of oil and gas leases in the area are suddenly pursuing approval of a number of oil and gas wells and exploration projects, including wells on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and in the BLM Lake Mountain Wilderness Study Area. Some of these wells have been approved recently. The Wyoming Outdoor Council has initiated several efforts to try to make sure development in Riley Ridge is done in a way that does not compromise the values of the area. Contact: Bruce Pendery.

RED DESERT/GREAT DIVIDE
Working to protect the Jack Morrow Hills. In early July 2004, the BLM released the final environmental impact statement for the Jack Morrow Hills. The BLM’s plan, while closing substantial portions of the area to oil and gas leasing in the future, was still not adequate to protect this vital part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The plan allows up to 1,077 natural gas wells and 543 coalbed methane wells to be drilled in an area that includes important winter range for wildlife, large herds of elk and pronghorn, seven wilderness study areas, and remarkable historical and cultural values such as the Oregon Trail and areas sacred to Native Americans.

Because of the threats to these resources, the Wyoming Outdoor Council filed a protest of the final environmental impact statement in August in hopes of improving the plan. We are awaiting a decision on the protest from the BLM. We were not alone in our dissatisfaction with the BLM’s plan. A project manager for the BLM in Rock Springs said they had received an unprecedented 1,000 protests. Public involvement like this, coupled with the 81,000 comments sent to the BLM before the EIS was completed, have made a difference and will be very useful as we turn to congress for action in protecting the Red Desert. Contact: Bruce Pendery and Tova Woyciechowicz.

Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs join in fight to protect the Greater Red Desert. In September, at the Federation of Western Outdoor Club’s 73rd Annual Meeting in Ketchum, Idaho, members passed a resolution developed by Wyoming Outdoor Council organizer Tova Woyciechowicz, supporting conservation in the Greater Red Desert/Great Divide. The group is made up of more than 60 outdoor recreation groups with tens of thousands of members across the western United States. The meeting marked the beginning of a relationship with these allies that will be useful in the campaign to protect south central Wyoming. Contact: Tova Woyciechowicz.

Desolation Flats Project threatens Adobe Town. The BLM has come out with a final Environmental Impact Statement for the Desolation Flats natural gas project that will allow 385 gas wells, 542 miles of roads, and 361 miles of pipeline in an area of national park quality badlands approximately 20 miles south of Wamsutter in the Greater Red Desert. Much of this project overlaps with the citizen’s proposed Wilderness Study Area of Adobe Town.

Development in Desolation Flats will cut off wildlife migration and threaten the pristine nature of the area, which is characterized by 1,000 foot cliffs, endless badland mazes, fossil-rich sandstone, important nesting habitat for birds of prey, and valuable cultural and historical sites.

Individuals can help by contacting their congressional delegation, Governor Freudenthal, and by writing letters to the editor to present the case for protecting this remote, but awe-inspiring piece of the Red Desert. Contact: Tova Woyciechowicz.

Greater Red Desert/Adobe Town Stakeholder Meeting. A meeting was held in October to begin the process of engaging non-traditional stakeholders in a discussion about lasting protection for Wyoming’s Greater Red Desert, specifically Adobe Town. In addition to the representatives from the Wyoming Outdoor Council, attendees included local ranchers, representatives of the Rock Springs Grazing Association, officials from the Rawlins and Rock Springs Field Offices of the Bureau of Land Management, Friends of the Red Desert, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, the Wilderness Society, Western Wildlife Conservancy, Wyoming Wildlife Federation, and representatives from the staffs of Sen. Thomas, Sen. Enzi and Rep. Cubin. This effort is the first of what is hoped to be continued dialogue about appropriate protections for the Adobe Town area. Contact: Tova Woyciechowicz.

Rawlins BLM sits down with conservationists to discuss best management practices for oil and gas for the Greater Red Desert. In September, representatives from the Wyoming Outdoor Council, Friends of the Red Desert, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, and the Rock Springs Labor Union met and toured gas wells near Atlantic Rim in the Greater Red Desert with the Rawlins Bureau of Land Management Field Office. The group, which included the BLM’s recreation planner, its range conservation specialist, the head of the oil and gas program, the oil and gas project manager, a staff biologist, and a public relations officer, discussed responsible energy development. This conversation resulted in new relationships and interest in getting a more diverse group to meet with the Rawlins BLM in the future. Contact: Tova Woyciechowicz.

POWDER RIVER BASIN
DEQ seeks stakeholders input on managing coalbed methane produced waters. In an effort to get a handle on the overwhelming volume of coalbed methane water being discharged into the Powder River Basin, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality has decided to begin a process designed to control overall water volume within each watershed drainage. The process is starting cautiously, with stakeholders meetings set for November for two watersheds: Pumpkin Creek and Crystal Creek, both tributaries of the Powder River. There is one designated seat for an environmental group in each group. The Wyoming Outdoor Council and Powder River Basin Resource Council will share this role. Contact: Steve Jones.

GRAZING
Smiths Fork Allotment Management Plan expected soon. In April 2004, the BLM and the Wyoming Outdoor Council settled an administrative appeal that WOC had filed challenging livestock management on the Smiths Fork Allotment. In the settlement, the BLM agreed to prepare an allotment management plan for the Smiths Fork by February 2005. We anticipate that plan will actually be ready by November. We hope the proposed plan will lead to real, on-the-ground improvements on the Smiths Fork, but will remain vigilant to ensure this is the case. Contact: Bruce Pendery.

STATEWIDE
Helping communities deal with solid waste. In the fall of 2003, Gov. Freudenthal directed the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to convene a citizens’ advisory group to help develop the state’s solid waste management policies. The 27 members of the group included a mix of public and private engineers, municipal solid waste managers, county commissioners, city employees, community recycling leaders, and Wyoming Solid Waste and Recycling Association board members. The Wyoming Outdoor Council was the only environmental organization with representation on the committee.

The committee presented a report to Gov. Freudenthal and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality this October. The problems identified by the group stem largely from the growing number of leaking landfills contaminating groundwater around the state, coupled with the rising cost of building and maintaining safe solid waste disposal services—costs which are prohibitive for many small, rural communities.

The group came up with a number of recommendations to help deal with the solid waste management issue. They also worked to get the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Interim Committee to approve a Community Landfill Remediation Bill. If the bill passes the Wyoming Legislature during the 2005 session and is signed into law by the governor, the advisory group will remain in tact and will shift its focus to helping DEQ in the rulemaking process. Contact: Michele Barlow.

EPA responds to Wyoming Outdoor Council’s allegations that Wyoming fails to meet minimum standards of sections of the Clean Water Act. In 2001, the Wyoming Outdoor Council and the Powder River Basin Resource Council filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency citing Wyoming’s failure to administer the Clean Water Act’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Program in a way that protected the state’s water adequately from the impacts of coalbed methane produced waters. In September, after an audit of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Quality Division, the EPA issued its final Findings and Corrective Action in response to the petition.

The audit revealed several glaring deficiencies in the DEQ’s practices. EPA found that DEQ must apply technology-based effluent limitations for coalbed methane discharges, that DEQ must start imposing effluent limitations on coalbed methane produced water to protect aquatic flora and fauna, and that the DEQ must stop processing major permit modifications as minor modifications.

According to Stephen Tuber, the Assistant Regional Administrator for the EPA, “significant improvements have been made in Wyoming’s National Pollution Discharge Elimination System program since the petition was filed.” A final follow-up review of the state’s program by the EPA is to take place this winter to ensure all necessary corrective actions have taken place. Contact: Steve Jones.