If you have an interest in burrowing owls, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, bighorn sheep, wolverines, greater short-horned lizards and Yellowstone cutthroat trout then you have an interest in Wyoming’s State Wildlife Action Plan. This plan is key to maintaining the health and diversity of wildlife within Wyoming and helps conserve species which prevents listing as threatened or endangered species. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has completed revisions to its State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) and is seeking public comment on the latest draft. The SWAP can be viewed and comments provided on Game Fish’s website at Wyoming State Wildlife Action Plan. Comments will be accepted through May 22, 2017. 

SWAPs are produced as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grant program. This program provides Game and Fish with around $550,000 annually which has been used to increase understanding of many of the state’s nongame species and develop associated conservation strategies. Individual species identified within the SWAP, which are used to develop conservation strategies are called Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and are designated by evaluating trends in population numbers and potential threats. Some additional SGCN in Wyoming include: saugers, shovelnose sturgeon, wood frogs, pallid bats, black-rosy finch, northern flying squirrels and swift fox. 

The last update to Wyoming’s SWAP was in 2010. The current revision did not include major changes in content or format but did address:   
 

• Revising the list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The 2010 SWAP recognized 180 SGCN, the 2017 SWAP 229. Most of the increase in SGCN is for birds and mollusks where additional research has allowed for the better management and identification of individual species. The revised list of SGCN was approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in January 2016, after a public comment period.  
• Updating information for all SGCN, creating reports for new SGCN, and improving format and content for mammal and bird species reports.
• Improving electronic mapping capabilities to facilitate better development and conservation planning.
• Completing vulnerability analyses for Wyoming terrestrial SGCN and habitats.

The Wyoming Game and Fish is responsible for managing over 800 species of wildlife. Wyoming’s plan is part of a national framework, with SWAPS existing for all other states and territories. 

Recently, 26 national business and conservation leaders from outdoor recreation retail and manufacturing, energy and automotive industries, private landowners, educational institutions, conservation organizations, sportsmen’s groups, and state fish and wildlife agencies came together to examine the current system of conservation funding and recommend a new mechanism that will conserve all fish and wildlife. The National Blue Ribbon Panel was chaired by John Morris, Founder of Bass Pro Shops and David Freudenthal, former Governor of Wyoming. The task force recommended funding go to provide states with the resources needed to implement State Wildlife Action Plans which are designed to conserve over 12,000 species of greatest conservation need. That proposal is moving forward as a bi-partisan supported bill in Congress.

Wyoming’s revised SWAP will be presented to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission for approval this summer after the public comment period. If approved the plan will then be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for final approval.