The Wyoming Game and Fish Department recently received a $1,515 donation from the Keep it Public, Wyoming coalition to support hunters and anglers through the Access Yes Program. Access Yes facilitates the partnership between landowners and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to create public hunting and fishing access on private land including Walk-in Fishing and Hunting Areas, Hunter Management Areas and other Game and Fish public access areas. The donated funds were raised at two public rallies in support of public lands held this late summer and fall in Laramie and Jackson.
“We are fortunate in Wyoming to have strong partnerships and support for Access Yes from Keep it Public, Wyoming coalition. We appreciate their support,” said Scott Talbott, director of Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “The generous donation provides nearly 4,848 acres of access which truly impacts for hunters and anglers in Wyoming. We also thank the landowners who allow access and support this program, and hunter can thank them by turning in their landowner coupons after their hunt.”
The check was presented to Game and Fish by Earl DeGroot with the Wyoming Sportsmen for Federal Lands and Kathy Jenkins with the Wyoming Outdoor Council on behalf of Keep it Public, Wyoming coalition. Keep it Public is a coalition between more than 40 nonprofit organizations, including sportsmen, recreation and conservation groups, as well as outdoor businesses and thousands of individuals. The group promotes the value of public lands as an important economic driver for the state and as vital to the quality of life Wyoming residents enjoy.
“Access Yes fits the goals of the Keep it Public, Wyoming coalition because it often improves recreational access to landlocked public land and it is a way to get more people outside and enjoying hunting and fishing," DeGroot said.
Each dollar donated to Access Yes equates to approximately 3.2 acres of public access. This donation helps every hunter and angler in Wyoming have increased access opportunities for years to come.
"We are happy to contribute these funds to the Access Yes program in order to ensure that hunters and anglers have the opportunity to access and enjoy private lands and to also use public lands that are otherwise inaccessible," Jenkins said.
Funds donated to Access Yes can only be utilized to provide landowner payments in exchange for sportsperson access. Walk-In Areas and Hunter Management Areas funded by Access Yes provide hunting opportunities for big game, small game, upland game and migratory game birds. They also provide fishing opportunities throughout the state. The public can support Access Yes through donations when purchasing a license, either online or from a license selling agent. For more information please visit the Game and Fish public access page.
