Stories from the Field

Protecting private lands from development helps safeguard wildlife habitat and the agricultural way of life. Local community members Chuck and Marilyn Walker recently protected their land with a conservation easement by partnering with Park County Open Lands (PCOL), Park County’s first locally led land trust established in early 2023.

The USDA-WY Big Game Conservation Partnership Initiative has directed robust funding to priority areas in Wyoming, but getting the dollars to ground in support of working lands has been the challenge. Collaboration has been key, and the Cody Enterprise celebrates the successes in Park County.

Arthur Middleton, an original member of the East Yellowstone Collaborative, paints the picture of how Yellowstone’s enigmatic draw is putting it at risk. Middleton is a professor of environmental science, policy and management and a co-director of the James M. and Catherine D. Stone Center for Environmental Stewardship at the University of California, Berkeley. He also currently serves as a senior adviser for wildlife conservation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Small tweaks in USDA programs support working lands and migrations in Wyoming. Written by our own Shaleas Harrison.

Preserving the farming and ranching heritage— Wyoming receives tens of millions in federal grants to protect open lands.