Range and Wildlife

As part of our mission to conserve natural resources, we offer expertise and advice on care of your rangeland, particularly for those new to the region. For example: Did you know that it can take more than 50 acres of grassland in the Laramie basin to feed one horse for a year? Contact Matt Scott or Martin Curry with your specific questions. If they can’t answer them he will point you to other excellent resources in Laramie who can.

Wildlife Habitat Efforts

Wildlife Habitat Partnerships

LRCD works with wildlife partners such as the WY Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and non-profit groups such as the Mule Deer and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundations. These partnerships are crucial to wildlife habitat within the district for several reasons. Partnerships on projects increase the likelihood of receiving funding and improve the chance of projects being approved. Consenting opinion of several stakeholders usually enhances the outcome for wildlife and their habitat and offers more diverse viewpoints. Working with private landowners is critical because private lands support the majority of wildlife populations and their habitat.

 

Wildlife Habitat Projects

Many of the District’s wildlife habitat projects complement our rangeland improvement projects. When district personnel initiate natural resource projects, they look for multiple resource benefits. Rangeland improvement projects for agricultural operations usually incorporate around wildlife habitat needs as well. The District has assisted in planning, developing, and financially assisting numerous water developments. These projects have helped improve riparian conditions by drawing livestock away from these areas and onto uplands. The result is enhanced and protected wildlife habitat in riparian areas and increased watering sites. LRCD aids landowners in designing grazing plans that enhance wildlife habitat. These are just a few examples of the many ways that wildlife and agriculture can help each other.

 

Wyoming Toad—Monitoring

LRCD is committed to ensuring the success of the Wyoming reintroduction effort in Albany County by following up on toad reintroductions. By carefully monitoring the success of the toad, we attain reintroduction information about population levels, survival rates, habitat utilization and potential disease epidemics.

To that end, LRCD has enlisted the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database to perform detailed field work and to produce annual reports to inform the district, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the participating landowners of the toad population’s progress.

Wyoming Toad—Safe Harbor Program Update

LRCD continues to participate in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) “Safe Harbor” program to reintroduce the Wyoming Toad at various locations in the county. We are the first conservation district in the region to enter into an agreement related to endangered species with the USFWS. In addition, this is the first agreement of its kind to be implemented by anyone in the Rocky Mountain region. In spring of 2006, a second Safe Harbor release site was established in Albany County and hundreds of tadpoles were released on private land. Under the agreement participating ranchers and their neighbors may continue normal agricultural and business operations with out interference from the federal government.

Last Modified on August 12, 2010

A juvenile Wyoming Toad in the hand of a USFWS scientist at Mortenson Lake National Wildlife refuge.

Above:  LRCD uses ArcMap (a mapping software) to map ranches and resources to develop grazing and resource management plans.       Below: The Rural Cost-Share      Program is utilized to convert old windmills to solar power watering facilities.

Rangeland Management

Red Mountain CRM Plan

In addition to the projects discussed in the Forestry Section, LRCD coordinated with numerous   government agencies and the grazing permittee in developing a  comprehensive natural resource management plan for a ~30,000 acre area south of Woods Landing, WY.  This plan involved livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, recreation, road closures and rehabilitation, and agriculture stability for preservation of open spaces.  This year LRCD, and partners, completed 3 water developments, finished the riparian and upland monitoring, and completed the final strategic plan for the area.

 

Native Seed Collection

In August 2008 LRCD partnered with the US Forest Service and the NRCS Meeker Plant Materials Center in a native seed collection.  The partnership focused efforts on collecting bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) on two sites.  The seed was collected and cleaned by various volunteers and LRCD staff.  It was then sent to the Plant Materials center for further evaluation as a possible release for seed production for native rangeland restoration and management.

 

Rangeland Monitoring

LRCD continued the rangeland monitoring program in the spring and early summer of 2009 as part of its  efforts to assist federal grazing permittees and private landowners in identifying their rangeland and riparian conditions.  To date, well over 40 monitoring sites have been established on private, state, and federal lands throughout Albany County.  LRCD uses a variety of simple yet informative methods for data collection and processing  utilizing the best available science.  However, due to time constraints for staff and the timing of the peak vegetation season we are not able to monitor all the areas we want to.

 

Rangeland Improvements and Projects

The district has worked with several agencies and individuals within the district to implement rangeland improvements for enhanced wildlife habitat and livestock grazing distribution.

 

List of projects implemented this year:

· ~70 pounds of native seed collection

· Rangeland and Riparian Monitoring

· 2 Large Ranch Management Plans

· 4 Small Acreage Management Plans

 

List of technical assistance provided this year:

· Seed Mixes for irrigated and upland areas

· Irrigated Land Management Practices

· Water Developments

· Fencing

· US Forest Service road closure and rehabilitation

· Forestry for wildlife habitat

 

Equipment Rental for Range Improvement

Check out our Equipment Rental Page or contact Martin Curry or Matt Scott for more information.

North Laramie Wildlife Friendly Fence Initiative

The Laramie Rivers Conservation District (LRCD), Laramie Field Office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) partnered to help restore a pronghorn antelope migration corridor from just north of Laramie, WY north to Wheatland Reservoir #2.  This is a historic 25 mile long corridor that pronghorn utilize during the cold, snowy winter months to access critical habitat that sustains them when snow levels cover all forage except sagebrush.  A large part of this area is defined as crucial winter range for the pronghorn by the WGFD and is critical to the survival of this species during the winter month.

The problem with the migration of pronghorn through this area is that many of the fences constructed were woven wire or 5-7 strand barbed wire fences.  This type of construction was typically for the control of sheep, so the bottom half of the fence is difficult for pronghorn to travel through.  The initiative will replace areas of fences that restrict, or hinder, migration throughout the area.

The NRCS, through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), has cost-share funding available to qualified landowners to assist in replacing fences that impede migration with more wildlife friendly fences.  Along with this assistance, the WGFD and LRCD will pursue additional funding to assist with replacement in this corridor.  The partnership is hoping that with all the funding sources available, the replacement of fences will cost little, if anything, to participating landowners.  NRCS guidelines stipulate that only ¼ of a mile of “unfriendly” fence can be replaced per mile of fence – typically near corners where animals get “bunched up”.  We have begun inventorying and mapping these fences.  Much of this area is also considered as “core” greater sage grouse habitat, making this area that much more important. If, through fence conversion, these areas are more accessible, the pronghorn populations are liable to spread out thus reducing pressure on the current over-utilized areas, improving habitat for all species.