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Evacuations ordered as two Wyoming wildfires explode
Hot, dry and windy conditions are driving two major wildfires in separate corners of Wyoming, forcing residents to evacuate. The Elk Fire in Sheridan County has grown to over 22,500 acres since Friday, while the Pack Trail Fire south of Togwotee Pass has reached more than 19,600. Lightning strikes ignited both blazes.
Property tax reform is on the November ballot: Here’s what to know
In November’s general election, Wyoming voters will decide the fate of a constitutional amendment set into motion by lawmakers in 2023 to adjust residential property taxes. Property taxes have surged in much of the state in recent years as home values have soared. In response, the Wyoming Legislature expanded the state’s property tax refund program, created new exemptions for certain homeowners and boosted an existing exemption for veterans, among other measures .
The Black Hills are thick with lions. But those that leave are unlikely to repopulate the East, study finds.
The robust Black Hills mountain lion population has long been thought of as a conveyor belt of itinerant eastbound animals that will eventually culminate in Puma concolor reoccupying old haunts they were extirpated from long ago.
As University of Wyoming mulls guns on campus, community debates safety, suicide prevention
Citing concerns about safety and suicide, a majority of people who spoke at a Thursday hearing on guns at the University of Wyoming said they did not support allowing weapons on campus. But others advocated for easing restrictions at Wyoming’s lone four-year public university, contending an armed public would better protect against mass shootings or other events.
Wyoming’s 44th star
One might consider the 20-foot by 30-foot American flag that hung in Jackson recently as a New Glory, one that has six more stars than the Old Glory of Wyoming statehood days. When Congress admitted Wyoming to the Union on July 10, 1890 as the 44th state, that called for adoption of a new flag with another star. The flag with 44 stars became official on July 4, 1891 — Independence Day is the official day of all American flag changes.
Non-traditional allies teamed up to improve BLM’s Rock Springs plan
What happens when you sit down at a table with your neighbors and take a chance with trust? Meaningful changes, meaningful outcomes. When the Bureau of Land Management released its much-contested draft Rock Springs Resource Management Plan last summer, significant changes were proposed. The intent of those changes was to prioritize wildlife and landscape health; it appeared to minimally impact livestock producers. However, upon delving into the details, we discovered several stipulations that would have had severe consequences for the grazing industry. After taking time to review the draft and talk with our neighbors from both the grazing and conservation communities, the two of us and others sat at a table and said, “what do you think?” We found that though we would need to agree to disagree on certain aspects of the plan, we value the wellbeing of these lands and saw a path forward with grazing as an integral part of keeping the lands both wild and working.
Crews continue search for missing Yellowstone hiker
Two helicopters, 85 people, search dogs and a drone have canvassed the rugged terrain in southeast Yellowstone National Park since Saturday in search of missing hiker Austin King. Searchers located the man’s campsite, but have yet to find the 22-year-old, who was last heard from as a storm moved into the area.
Wyoming’s mostly wolf-free policy produces precise management of a controversial canine
GROS VENTRE RIVER DRAINAGE— “There’s one,” Ken Mills said softly. Wolf 1259M padded into a grassy meadow visible from nearly a half-mile away. Mills, a wolf biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, had been scanning with binoculars and a spotting scope for over two hours before the animal, the Togwotee Pack’s breeding male, entered the view. The fortysomething bearded biologist had departed his Pinedale home at dawn bound for the slow, rickety drive onto Union Pass. Then, after riding miles into the backcountry on horseback, he finally reached a timbered perch strategically selected because it overlooked a den site where the pack was raising pups.
Advocates, western governors renew push for outdoor recreation act
Advocates and western governors this month doubled down on a push to pass into law legislation aimed at improving outdoor recreation on federal lands. The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act — a package of more than a dozen policy measures known as the EXPLORE Act — passed the House in April on a voice vote. Wyoming’s Rep. Harriet Hageman supported it, according to her staff.
The takeover: How Wyoming’s ‘tireless minority’ took control
The State Freedom Caucus Network, a national right-wing political organization that aims to establish hard-line majorities in every statehouse in the U.S., invoked founding father Samuel Adams to lead off an email newsletter: “It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.”
UW’s football future depends on strong Mountain West rebound
I like to think of myself as a glass half-full, optimistic kind of guy, but it’s difficult to look at what’s happened to the Mountain West Conference without believing the University of Wyoming’s football future is pretty dim.
The takeover: A reluctant politician, a far-right firebrand and the fight for Wyoming conservatism
Julie Jarvis stood staring at the floor with typewritten notes in her hand. She wore a black, white and gray turtleneck sweater and black pants. Her jaw was squared, her hair straight and silver. She seemed to be somewhere else — not in the room in the house in Casper with the abstract paintings, the baby grand piano and the people sitting before her with expectation in their eyes. It was an evening in late February, and a winter wind had risen, the kind that leaves highways littered with overturned freight trucks. Outside the window, cottonwood trees danced maniacally. A mad roar whipped through the streets.
Statewide gun-free zone ban legislation expected for 2025 session
Lawmakers wrote the latest page in Wyoming’s gun-free-zone saga Thursday afternoon with a relatively calm, hour-long discussion of where guns should be allowed. While the Joint Judiciary Committee took no action, Rep. Jeremy Haroldson (R-Wheatland) said he would be bringing back legislation targeting Wyoming’s gun-free zones in the upcoming session.
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