View the Wyoming CWD Management Plan approved by the Game and Fish Commission in July 2020.

The ultimate goal of the Elk Feedgrounds: A Challenge We Can Take On is to consider all biological, social, economic, and political issues, along with wildlife diseases, to achieve a durable, publicly supported long-term feedgrounds management plan for the Department operated elk feedgrounds. The Phase I target completion date was mid-January 2021.  Phase I of the elk feedgrounds collaborative process was launched in 2020 with the development of a Department feedground steering team (Steering Team).  The goals of Phase I are to:
 

1. Share information related to feedground history, objectives of the program, and the complexities that have evolved related to continuing feeding operations, and
2. Secure public and stakeholder feedback that will lead to future strategy and policy development for the State of Wyoming feedground program and set the conditions for Phase II.

For more information on the Phase I process and to learn what we heard, review the Phase I Final Report provided by Tara Kuipers Consulting.      

Phase I Feedgrounds Public Process Summary Report

Elk Feedgrounds: A Challenge We Can Take On Phase I public meeting recording
Elk Feedgrounds: A Challenge We Can Take On Q&A Session meeting recording

Phase II

• Public Engagement and Stakeholder Involvement: Phase II began in July 2021 with six public meetings held across the state to explain the collaborative process and encourage stakeholder participation. Sixty individuals representing distinct interest groups (government, landowners, NGOs, outfitters, sportspersons, and the general public) volunteered as stakeholders.

• Stakeholder Input and Shared Learning: Stakeholders engaged in a shared learning process with subject-matter experts and participated in individual group meetings to provide input, which highlighted five common themes:

1. Solutions to complex issues surrounding feedgrounds require a long-term approach. 

2. The Plan must take a multi-pronged approach.

3. The Plan must remain adaptable.

4. Decision-making should remain at the local and state levels.

5. Plans need to be feedground-specific.

• Draft Plan, Public Feedback, and Revisions: A draft plan was released in June 2023, followed by public meetings and a final stakeholder meeting in August 2023. Stakeholder and public feedback led to major plan revisions, focusing on key areas like sideboard clarification, disease management, process adherence (new and existing), funding, and Phase III FMAP process development.

Click here for Shared Learning content on Elk Feedgrounds.

Download the final Wyoming Elk Feedgrounds Management Plan approved by the Game and Fish Commission in March 2024 here.

1. Plan Adoption and FMAP Development: Specific FMAPs will be developed for each elk herd and its corresponding feedgrounds in the Jackson and Pinedale regions. These plans will be tailored to each location's needs and conditions, while adhering to the goals and sideboards outlined in the Elk Feedgrounds Management Plan. 

2. Public Engagement: The Department must effectively collaborate and communicate with all stakeholders throughout this process. This includes engaging with partners, stakeholders, decision-makers, and the public through outreach, educational workshops, and other engagement efforts. These efforts aim to share progress, gather feedback, and incorporate public input into the FMAPs.

3. Implementation and Review: The FMAPs will be implemented and reviewed annually. Major updates will be scheduled during the herd objective review process to ensure the plans remain adaptive and effective.

Following the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's approval of the Wyoming Elk Feedgrounds Management Plan in March 2024, the Jackson and Pinedale regions began developing specific Feedground Management Action Plans (FMAPs) tailored to individual elk herds and their respective feedgrounds. There are three elk herd units in each region, which include 21 department-operated feedgrounds. 

The FMAPs are intended to evaluate each strategy outlined in the Feedgrounds Management Plan and determine how it can be uniquely and appropriately applied at the herd unit and feedground levels, while adhering to the Commission-supported goals and sideboards established in the plan.

After the Department working groups complete draft FMAPs, each region will host a minimum of one workshop for each herd. The workshops are intended to share process updates and provide an opportunity for the public to engage in conversation and share input.

Upcoming FMAP Workshops: