event_title: Sage Wisdom Wednesdays: Protecting Habitat & Improving Access

event_time_zone: America/Denver

event_start: June 10, 2020 19:00

event_duration: 120

event_end: June 10, 2020 21:00

event_address:

event_description: Sage Wisdom Wednesday is a virtual speaker series aimed at getting "just in time" information to BHA leadership. The target audience is BHA chapter leadership, North American Board Members, and staff. We want this series to be small, so that interaction is high. Only 25 slots will be available on a first-come first-serve basis. We will record the series for redistribution and learning purposes. Featured Speaker: Brian Rognon, Wyoming Game and Fish Lands BranchBrian Rognon is a mover for increasing public access for hunting and fishing. During his career we have watched as Brian led some very bold moves to protect habitat through conservation easements and improve access. Brian will present generally on the tools states use to acquire and manage lands.  Finally, the majority of this presentation will be about an acquisition that Brian and the WGFD have set there sites to--Raymond Mountain Wilderness Study Area. The 32,936 acre Raymond Mountain Wilderness Study Area (WSA) located within the Sublette Range has been identified by Wyoming Game and Fish Green River region personnel as the highest priority for acquiring hunter access in the region. This area is an important acquisition for public hunting access for elk, deer, moose, mountain lion, and bears for better population management. The Sublette Range is adjacent to the Idaho state line, and has been a special challenge managing local elk populations, due primarily to the limited public access. To help manage the expanding elk population, elk hunting has historically included late season elk hunts on the leased private ranch property, but additional hunter harvest is needed.The entire west side of the range is separated from public access by private land, with the exception of the Raymond Canyon county road. The east side of the range is accessible across private land with permission however, the roads are very rough two tracks making horse trailer travel difficult, especially in wet fall weather. A private landowner has expressed an interest in allowing the WGFD to acquire a permanent public access easement and an associated parking area to the Groo Canyon trail, which would create the only public access to the southern half of the Raymond Mountain WSA. The basic idea described by the landowner would be the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission purchasing a fifteen (15) foot wide road easement along an existing two track as well as a parking area appropriately sized for trucks with horse trailers. This would provide back country horsemen and hikers a trail head to access the roughly thirty three thousand (33,000) acres of public land known as the Raymond Mountain WSA.A video link to the project can be watched here.Please RSVP if you would like to attend. All registrants will be sent a Zoom invitation in an email receipt for the event.