LARAMIE — The Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioners concluded its final meeting of the year Nov. 5-6 in Laramie. The Commission heard and approved several key departmental presentations and funding requests. Jim Wasseen, Landscape Conservation Initiative Coordinator for Game and Fish, presented a final draft of the Statewide Habitat Plan for 2026-30, and the Commission voted to approve the plan.
“We would like to thank everyone involved, including the external partners and stakeholders, who were involved with this plan revision,” Wasseen said. “It is a collaborative effort that cannot be successful without the help of those who took time out of their busy schedules to provide feedback that helps us shape our plan and set it up for success.”
The SHP serves as a unified roadmap for Game and Fish habitat protection and enhancement efforts. The newly-approved plan is the fifth since the original plan in 2001. The plan addresses conservation of terrestrial and aquatic habitat, along with migration paths, habitat conservation and restoration.
The latest revision emphasizes a systematic approach to prioritizing areas that have high conservation values, areas Game and Fish plans to restore and priority areas for fish and wildlife migrations. The plan features 25 strategies and 93 specific actions to be implemented across various Game and Fish divisions.
Game and Fish reported a positive year for its public engagement efforts in its Education and Outreach report. Education Supervisor Ashley Leonard reported that in fiscal year 2025, Game and Fish programs reached 30,371 participants across 284 programs. Additionally, the Hunter Education program certified 3,608 new students. This was largely dependent on the dedication of volunteer and staff instructors, who spent nearly 9,000 hours instructing hunter education courses.
“We are able to address our most pressing conservation challenges because the people of our state really value wildlife and are willing to put passion into action,” Leonard said. “A huge component in maintaining a solid future for conservation is instilling that value in wildlife in the next generation.”
The department also saw positive gains in its youth-focused and outreach programs. The Inspire a Kid campaign continues to provide family-oriented weekly email newsletters that include a variety of content such as a podcast, videos, coloring sheets, activities, recipes, career spotlights and more. School-based initiatives — including Trout in the Classroom, the National Archery in the Schools Program and Conservation Crates — combined to reach more than 13,600 Wyoming students. Additionally, Game and Fish’s nine summer camps, including three Becoming an Outdoors-Woman camps, three family camps, two youth camps and a collegiate program remain popular and highly valued by participants, which demonstrates the effectiveness of hands-on learning in recruiting future sportspeople and conservationists.
The next Commission meeting will be Jan. 13-14, 2026, at Game and Fish Headquarters in Cheyenne, 5400 Bishop Blvd. A full agenda and presentation information will be posted on the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission page at a later date.
— WGFD —
