CASPER, Wyo. — On Monday, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed a new “Wyoming Wildlife Habitat” memorandum of understanding.
Under the agreement, Wyoming and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest “technical capacity and resources” to support migratory big game on public and private lands, the governor’s office said in a press release Monday.
“This means funds for private landowners who voluntarily help conserve wildlife habitat, particularly for wildlife movement,” the press release said.
The new MOU between Wyoming and the USDA comes about two years after Gordon signed an executive order aiming to help protect mule deer and antelope migration corridors.
“Wyoming leads the nation in our approaches to conserving wildlife, particularly big game migration,” Gordon said. “We do that with strong landowner partnerships and recognition that habitat conservation can be done on multi-use lands.
“Private landowners have long provided key habitat for wildlife across Wyoming. Offering voluntary funding opportunities to landowners to maintain this valuable space for wildlife is a recognition of their role in conservation.”
As part of the agreement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture “will provide a new package of investments in key conservation programs for fiscal year 2023,” the press release said. Producers in a pilot area in Wyoming will be able to apply for conservation programs starting this fall that include incentives for being good land stewards.
“Conserving private working lands and tribal lands through voluntary, collaborative incentives not only empowers producers to address a range of natural resource concerns, but also helps them care for our nation’s most important wildlife habitats and corridors,” Vilsack said in the press release. “We’re pleased to announce today’s agreement, which is the product of consultation and partnership with the State of Wyoming and local stakeholders.
“This agreement will help create new and enhanced opportunities through USDA’s conservation programs to keep working lands working and give farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners new opportunities to conserve wildlife and migration corridors.”
