Not everyone thinks the Red Desert is pretty. Many drive like mad to get through it as quickly as possible on their way to the sexier, easy-to-love landscapes to the west. But for others, the Red Desert is where they go to get away.

Wyoming people recognize that much of the Red Desert remains remarkably intact, and contains important parts of our history including pioneer trails and Indian sacred sites. The northern Red Desert is also the southern anchor to the Greater Yellowstone and holds wintering grounds for migrating big game and habitat for many different animals. It is a place people use to hunt, hike, ranch, or get lost in. And, from as far back as the 1800s, it has been a landscape people have sought to protect.

In historic preservation, buildings are thought of as one of the most tangible connections to our past, linking us to our history and those that came before. In the conservation field, we strive to protect nature’s built landscapes so that our children can have the same meaningful experiences we have had. Our efforts to secure National Conservation Area designation for parts of the Red Desert are built on this common value.

In response to the latest push to extract Wyoming’s remaining natural resources, we are working to bring common sense into the equation. Maybe it’s time to call a time out in this rush, to get our bearings, to let rest the beleaguered BLM and FS staff, who are continually pressured by D.C. to open up more and more of Wyoming’s lands to more and more of the same, while our water is left unprotected, our skies hazed over, our wildlife bewildered as they seek safe winter ranges, birthing grounds, and routes through the maze of uncontrolled development.

Many of our current efforts are tied to orchestrating such a break, to giving all sides the time necessary to make better informed and more creative decisions on how we can balance short-term gains with long-term investment in what matters to Wyoming people.

I know that with you, we can continue to be the voice of common sense. We know that the clear skies of the Upper Green are filling with the haze of unprecedented industrialization. We know that DEQ and EPA are concerned, but also seemingly deer-in-headlight unable to do something about it. We know that there are good people working in these agencies trying to do the right thing, and we’re trying to help them do so.

In order to succeed, we need to know what issues hit home for Wyoming people and where they see a need for us to be involved. Tom Bell and others created the Wyoming Outdoor Council around his kitchen table. We want to sit down with citizens around the table again to find out what’s important to people across the state.

Some say talk is cheap, but we understand the importance of building and maintaining relationships. In the months ahead, we will be setting the table to engage in discussions about what matters. What matters to you. We want to know what you think are the most compelling issues in your community. We want to hear how you think we are doing. And we want to know what you would like to see done different to protect Wyoming’s way of life.

Please call Andy Blair, our community outreach coordinator, or me, if you would like to host one this summer. No sugar needed for the coffee.

Happy Trails,

Mark