Access to Popular Wyoming Wilderness Area Protected

February 20, 2009

Contact:
Vanessa Vaughan, The Conservation Fund, (703) 908-5809

PINEDALE, Wyoming – In an effort to ensure continued public access to the Wind River Mountain Range, The Conservation Fund and the USDA Forest Service, with key support from the Wyoming congressional delegation, protected today an important inholding within the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Located on the west side of the Wind River Mountains, north of Pinedale, Wyoming, the property sits just outside the 428,000-acre Bridger Wilderness and is completely surrounded by public land. The Bridger Wilderness combines with the Fitzpatrick and Popo Agie wilderness areas to form one of the largest and most popular wilderness complexes in the United States.

The property gives the public access to a network of trails leading to the Bridger Wilderness in the foothills of the Wind River Range and is vital to the continuation of hiking, hunting, camping and other outdoor recreational activities in the area.

Elk, mule deer, moose and other species also benefit from the protection of this land, as it provides a migration route for elk moving to the Soda Lake feed ground, summer habitat for moose and transitional range for mule deer. A tributary of Willow Creek and the Green River crosses a portion of the property, producing important wetland habitat.

“The Bridger-Teton National Forest is honored to manage these 40 acres for the public as part of their National Forest,” said Forest Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton. “The location of this parcel is such that the Forest will be able to better protect the scenic, wildlife, recreational and Wilderness resource qualities so prevalent in this section of the Bridger-Teton. Through the support and cooperation of many partners, especially The Conservation Fund, the Bridger-Teton will be able to further our service to the public in maintaining an area that provides access to the spectacular Bridger Wilderness Area for generations to come.”

The Forest Service identified the Willow Creek property as a top priority for conservation. Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Sublette County also voiced their support for the preservation of this land.

The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) provided funding to the Forest Service to acquire this critical tract for the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The Conservation Fund helped facilitate the deal by purchasing the land and holding it until the Forest Service received the funds. In the 110th Congress, Sen. Mike Enzi and Sen. John Barrasso supported this acquisition and encouraged the secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to approve the FLTFA funds.

“In the West, we take great pride in our land and the beauty it possesses,” said Sen. Mike Enzi. “We also pride ourselves on allowing access to land for recreational use. I am pleased public access will be expanded to one of Wyoming’s most beautiful areas.”

“The natural beauty of the Bridger-Teton National Forest is important to all of us in Wyoming,” said Sen. John Barrasso. “Public access to these lands is key. Our national forests are for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.”

Passed by Congress in 2000, FLTFA embodies the concept of “land for land,” using the proceeds from sales of scattered and discontiguous federal lands, with limited benefits to the public, to acquire more strategic lands for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. In a time of increased budget pressures, FLTFA balances conservation and economics and demonstrates an innovative way to generate funds to acquire high priority land for conservation, outdoor recreation and historic preservation.

“The Bridger-Teton National Forest, with its access to millions of acres of wilderness, thousands of miles of trails and unspoiled rivers and streams, offers something for everyone,” said Luke Lynch, Wyoming state director for The Conservation Fund. “Preservation of this Willow Creek property ensures that future generations will be able to experience this area. We thank the Wyoming congressional delegation, the U.S. Forest Service and the Sublette County commissioners for their commitment to protecting important access in Wyoming and across the country.”

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