GAME AND FISH CONTINUES PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF WYOMING RANGE DEER

1/24/2011

JACKSON - After two rounds of public meetings held in four different communities this past summer, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department will now be hosting a third and final series of public workshops to discuss their draft plan for the Wyoming Range mule deer herd.

The purpose of these meetings will be to present and discuss the draft management plan, which has been written based on input received in the first two rounds of meetings held in June and August of 2010. All meetings will be from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the following locations:

February 7: Marbleton Town Hall

February 8: Afton Civic Center

February 9: Kemmerer, Best Western

February 10: Green River, Western Wyoming Community College

The first two rounds of meetings were well attended and well received by the public. In the first round of meetings, attendees were asked to provide what they believed to be the main issues surrounding the Wyoming Range deer herd. In the second round of meetings, Game and Fish managers provided additional information on those main issues identified and then asked the public for suggested solutions to those issues through small group discussions. Based on this feedback, a draft management plan has been written to guide future management of the herd.

In this third round of meetings, a presentation will be given to provide an overview of the draft plan, with an emphasis on the main themes which have arisen: Habitat, Population Management and Partnerships. After that, attendees will again be engaged in small group discussions to provide any further feedback on the draft plan. Game and Fish managers will make any final revisions to the plan, which will then be presented to the Game and Fish Commission at a future meeting.

The resulting Wyoming Range Mule Deer Management Plan will be the first herd-specific plan developed under the auspices of the Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative. The Wyoming Mule Deer Initiative is a statewide framework designed to address declining mule deer populations, particularly over the last two decades. These declines are not unique to Wyoming, but have been seen throughout the West.

"We've gotten good participation and a lot of positive feedback from the people who attended the first two rounds of meetings, so we feel like we've got a good draft plan that reflects their concerns," said Wyoming Game and Fish Department assistant wildlife division chief Bill Rudd. "Still, I would encourage anyone interested in the Wyoming Range deer herd to attend one of the upcoming meetings to see what's been accomplished and provide any further input on the plan."

To learn more about the Wyoming Range deer herd and the public input process, visit the Game and Fish website and click on the "Wyoming Range Public Input Process" link under "What's New" or click on the following link: http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/WyRangePublicInput/index.asp.

Once there, one can view the slideshows presented at previous meetings on current management of the Wyoming Range deer herd as well as the results of a hunter attitude survey that was conducted. Also provided is the complete set of public input provided at each of the first two rounds of meetings.

Questions can be directed to Susan Boston at 307-777-4661 or any of the local Game and Fish regional offices.

The State of Wyoming supports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Anyone requiring auxiliary aids, regarding this Public Notice, should contact the Green River Game and Fish Office at 307-875-3223 or the Jackson Game and Fish Office at 307-733-2321. Every effort will be made for reasonable accommodations.
(Contact: Mark Gocke (307) 733-2321)

-WGFD-