Public News Service    December 26, 2019

CHEYENNE,  Wyo. — Hunting groups are praising Gov. Mark Gordon for his work to  protect the state’s iconic migration corridors for mule deer and  pronghorn antelope.
 

The governor has released a draft executive order to key stakeholders, and Joy Bannon — policy director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation — says the move positions Wyoming as a national leader in balancing the needs of wildlife and development.
 

“You know, here in Wyoming, we value our wildlife and our big game  species,” says Bannon. “These migration corridors allow these big game  to survive and thrive. They’re arteries of life, and how we manage them  as a state is very important.”
 

Migration routes, largely in southwestern Wyoming, allow a host of  species to move between winter habitat and areas with enough cover and  food to give birth in spring. Bannon says she hopes the final draft will  also include protections for bighorn sheep, whitetail deer, elk and  moose.
 

The debate on how the state’s migration corridors should be managed had  frequently been heated in past efforts, with extraction industries and  conservation groups unable to reach middle ground.
 

Bannon says an advisory group created by the governor was key to forging  consensus among stakeholders, and allowed ranchers and farmers, members  of the sporting community, and representatives from oil, gas and mining  industries to sit at the same table.
 

“And really talk, thoroughly, and hear the science and hear the  perspectives about how to move forward with this big issue,” says  Bannon. “Because we do all care, there is a desire to maintain the  functionality of these big-game migration corridors.”
 

The order’s recommendations, to be overseen by Wyoming Game and Fish,  include tapping new technologies to extract oil and gas without building  above ground in high-traffic corridors; avoiding development and  disturbances in the most crucial winter ranges; and prioritizing  development in areas considered to be unsuitable wildlife habitat.
 

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.