In This Issue:                                          

* Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Trust                   

* Monthly Precip Chart

* Green Dilemmas

* Hunting & Conservation

* WCMNC Activity Calendar

* Albany County School District Field Trips

* Kid’s Page—Wind Energy

A quarterly publication of the Laramie Rivers Conservation District

* NRCS—Sign-Up for Conservation Programs

 

Upcoming Events:

* October 13th—Columbus Day—Office Closed

* November 4th—Election Day

* November 11th—Veterans Day –Office Closed

* November 17th—21st –WACD Convention in Gillette

* November 27th—Thanksgiving-Office Closed

WYOMING WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOUCE TRUST

By Martin Curry

 

In 2005, the Wyoming Legislature made it a priority to invest in Wyoming’s natural landscape and wildlife.  To oversee their investments the legislators created the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT).  This is an independent agency governed by a board of nine individuals from different geographic areas and professional sectors in the state. The main purpose is to fund projects throughout the state of Wyoming that are designed to preserve, protect and enhance wildlife habitat and natural resources.

 

Where do the funds come from?   In its first year legislators entrusted the WWNRT with $15 million.  These funds where used to establish interest-bearing accounts; the interest would then be used for projects.  The goal is to grow these accounts to a total of $200 million.  In 2006, the Wyoming Legislature added an additional $25 million to the corpus.  The interest earned in 2006 was $600,000.00.  These dollars plus an additional $1.5 million funded the 2007 projects.

 

What type of projects will the WWNRT fund?  Any on the ground project designed with the intent to protect and enhance wildlife habitat and natural resources in Wyoming.

 

Examples of projects funded throughout the state:

Prescribed Fire: A management tool used to regenerate old and decedent terrestrial ecosystems.  By burning, the release of valuable nutrients occurs and a healthier ecosystem will emerge from the burned sites.

Preservation of open space:  The protection of migratory routes, breeding, birthing and wintering wildlife habitat from development/urbanism through conservation easements is crucial in the fight to maintain Wyoming’s open spaces.

Creation of wetlands: Wetlands provide critical habitat for songbirds, migratory waterfowl and small mammals.  Wetlands also benefit water quality and fisheries.

Noxious weed control:  Large scale salt cedar, Russian olive and cheatgrass eradication projects to protect and enhance native vegetation.