Four individuals who made significant contributions to the Wyoming outdoors will be inducted into the 2016 Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame this October. The Hall of Fame honors individuals, both living and posthumously, who have made significant lasting, lifetime contributions to the conservation of Wyoming’s outdoor heritage. The induction ceremony will take place in Cody at the Buffalo Bill Center for the West on October 22.
Dr. Stanley Anderson (posthumously); Mark Bruscino; Dr. David Love (posthumously); and Delaine Roberts will join 49 past inductees. The Wyoming Outdoor Hall of Fame was established in 2004 by then Governor Dave Freudenthal to celebrate individuals who have shown leadership and vision related to conserving wildlife, habitat or our heritage of hunting and fishing. Tickets are available online for the induction ceremony.
Dr. Stanley Anderson moved to Wyoming full time in 1980 and helped launch a new endeavor — the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. The Co-op Unit established a formal partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the University of Wyoming to do important, applied wildlife research. Anderson and the students he mentored have made lasting contributions with research on conserving the endangered Wyoming toad, reintroducing the black-footed ferret, on big game migration, on how changing landscapes affect non-game birds and on energy development’s effects on pronghorn and mule deer. His contributions also have also led to changes benefiting wildlife, such as the use of markers on transmission lines to decrease bird collisions, population estimation techniques for raptors in the state, and habitat delineation. He led the Co-op until his death in 2005. During his career, Anderson advised or co-advised 100 graduate students, authored 200 scientific articles and authored several books.
Mark Bruscino served the public and the state’s wildlife for 29 years with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Bruscino was a game warden, a trophy game conflict officer and the Large Carnivore Services supervisor until he retired in 2013. A significant portion of Bruscino’s career was spent handling and mitigating large carnivore/human conflicts, which is very important, and at times, contentious work. He spent thousands of hours in Wyoming’s most remote and wild places investigating bear, mountain lion and wolf conflicts and depredations. He worked extensively with those who made a living in bear and wolf country — livestock producers. His ability to work with people coupled with his knowledge and understanding of wildlife was key in resolving conflicts. It didn’t take long before he became recognized as a leading national and international expert on investigating depredations and resolving conflict.
Dr. David Love was born on his family’s ranch in Wyoming in 1913. During his 89 years, he explored and came to know the intersection of Wyoming’s geology, people, industries, wildlife and open spaces in a profound way. He is noted for his skill as a field geologist in an era of maps, office work, and satellite imagery. Love learned the intimate details of geology by walking the ground. Through his work, he educated and informed people around the globe about Wyoming’s unique geology, natural resources and history. He authored more than over 250 geological publications, which includes two geological maps of Wyoming, the first in 1955, and the second in 1985.
Delaine Roberts is the epitome of “home-grown” conservation in Wyoming. He was born and raised in Star Valley and always invested his time and resources at the local level, including as a leader of youth, as a seasonal game warden, and as a county sheriff. He was also influential on the state level as a state senator and chair of the Travel, Recreation and Wildlife committee. After leaving the senate, Roberts became the first chairman of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust. As chairman of the WWNRT, Roberts brought together diverse interests, established rules, and launched the program that has provided more than $69 million statewide for wildlife conservation. Under his leadership, the WWNRT invested in more than 700 projects, including river restoration, rangeland enhancements, conservation easements to wetlands, aspen restoration, fence modification, water development, research, and other projects. Perhaps his greatest contribution though, comes in creating policy, where he led by example, to guide a diverse populace to put a conservation ethic into practice.
“Each of the inductees has not only made the outdoors a priority, but has consistently invested time, hard work and considerable personal resources into making Wyoming a better place,” said Scott Talbott, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “We congratulate the inductees and their families. Game and Fish and our partners look forward to honoring them in October, and I hope you’ll join us.”
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Wildlife Foundation invite the public and partners to come and celebrate this year’s class and support conversation. Tickets and information regarding sponsorship opportunities are available online. For more information contact Sara DiRienzo at (307) 777-4540.
Photo: Top row-Anderson and Bruscino. Bottom row-Love and Roberts.
