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Chip sealing in Pinedale in June.
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Town of Pinedale Chip Sealing in June (posted 6/14/19)
Town of Pinedale
The Town of Pinedale, in conjunction with the Wyoming Department of Transportation, is chip sealing several streets starting Tuesday, June 18th through Friday, June 21st. We will be fog coating N. Jackson Ave. and N. Tyler Ave. the following week. From June 18-21, please do not park on the following street between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM:
• Split Diamond Meadows Subdivision
• Hoback St. and Bonneville St., between N. Colter Ave. and N. Jackson Ave.
• Stuart St., between Lewis Ave. and N. Jackson Ave.
• N. Colter Ave. and N. Ashley Ave., between Pine St. and W. Clark St.
• N. Jackson Ave.
• Deadwood Ave., between Pine St. and Wilson St.
• Wilson St., west of Country Club Ln.
• N. Franklin Ave. and N. Maybell Ave., between Hennick St and W. Rendezvous St.
• N. Sublette between Pine St. and Hennick St.
• Skyline St.
Please contact the Town of Pinedale at 307-367-4136 with additional questions or concerns about the project.
Sublette Gem & Mineral Show June 14-16 (posted 6/12/19)
The Sublette County Rock Hounds will present their 3rd annual Gem & Mineral Show at the Sublette County Fairgrounds Event Center June 14-16th.
This year there will be 17 vendors comprised of returning dealers and new faces selling rock, jewelry, slabs, fossils, beads and specimens. There will be an opportunity to shop for rocks from all over the world. There will be a variety of lapidary equipment.
Kids will have a chance to paint a rock, play the wheel of fortune, and dig for topaz. Demonstrators will be on hand to show the arts of knapping, faceting, and wire-wrapping jewelry.
Admission to the Show is $2 for adults. Children are free accompanied by an adult. There will also be door prizes, raffles, silent rock auction, and a grand prize.
Groundbreaking for Union fiber optic broadband on June 27 (posted 6/12/19)
Everyone is invited to join Union as they kick off their regional fiber-fed broadband project that will connect Sublette, Sweetwater, and Lincoln counties and La Barge, Marbleton, Big Piney, Pinedale, Farson, and Eden to Union's regional 100GB fiber network.
The Thursday, June 27 groundbreaking ceremony starts at 9 a.m. by the Burger Barn, located just south of Pinedale on US 191.
The network will help with local area economic development, across a broad range of health care services, and provide improved access to educational opportunities.
BLM to conduct prescribed burns in Sublette, Lincoln Counties (posted 6/12/19)
Bureau of Land Management
The BLM High Desert District’s Pinedale Field Office will be conducting two prescribed burns in Sublette and Lincoln County this summer between June and July.
Fire operations will begin only when conditions are favorable for a safe and effective burn.
The Pine Grove prescribed fire project is located approximately 15 miles northwest of La Barge and consists of 53 acres of slash and standing conifer.
The Burdick prescribed fire project is located approximately 13 miles west of La Barge, on the east face of Miller Mountain, south of the La Barge Creek drainage.
There are 470 acres of slash and standing conifer targeted to burn on the Burdick prescribed fire project. These controlled burns are part of the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Project, developed with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wyoming Range Mule Deer Initiative in 2011.
The purpose is to improve vegetation conditions in crucial mule deer winter range, transition range and fawning ranges. Prescribed fires reduce conifer where it is encroaching on native aspen stands and stimulates new aspen growth. It is a beneficial management tool used to replicate natural wildfire, and can help return the ecosystem to its natural composition and healthiest function.
Fire crews will implement a number of burning tactics to start and control the burns. Smoke will be visible to the public during the operations. For public safety, fire crews will remain on scene and monitor the burn areas afterward to ensure the fire is completely out. For more information, contact Mark Randall at (307) 367-5350 or visit the Pinedale Field Office located at 1625 West Pine Street in Pinedale.
Vice President Mike Pence to visit Yellowstone National Park June 13 (posted 6/12/19)
Yellowstone National Park
On Thursday, June 13, 2019, Vice President Mike Pence and the Second Lady, along with Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt, will travel to visit Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The Vice President and the Second Lady will tour Old Faithful, and the Vice President will deliver remarks to National Park Service on the administration’s support to rebuild National Park infrastructure. The Vice President and the Second Lady will return to D.C. later that evening.
Wolf News Roundup 6/12/2019 (posted 6/13/19)
Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Wyoming wolf conflict
USDA Wildlife Services (WS-Wyoming) has issued its decision for wolf conflict management in Wyoming. The agency had prepared an environmental assessment analyzing "the potential environmental impacts of alternatives for WS-Wyoming’s response to requests for assistance to reduce adverse impacts on livestock and other domestic animals, property damage, and wolf-related threats to human health and safety in Wyoming as requested and authorized by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA), the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, or the Northern Arapaho Tribe. The EA was prepared in cooperation with the WGFD and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in consultation with the WDA, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Northern Arapaho Tribe."
The decision document continues the federal agency’s role in wolf conflict management activities, with a few changes. The agency will increase reporting requirements for instances where WS-Wyoming recommends the use of nonlethal methods, cooperator use of nonlethal methods, and limits the annual maximum number of wolves removed for wolf damage management by the agency in Wyoming.
Moving beyond reintroduction
The Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission’s five-part series on wolves looked at how wolf reintroduction and recovery have affected people in Idaho. Read IRRC chair Royce Schwenkfelder’s recap and commentary at the link provided below.
Oregon’s plan
The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife adopted changes to its wolf management plan that require the use of non-lethal methods to deter predators prior to wolf control, and only allows lethal control as an option if a wolf is involved in at least two confirmed attacks in a nine-month period.
Washington review
Washington State Representative Joel Kretz successfully pushed legislation that requires a statewide analysis of the status of wolves in the state to see if a change in conservation status is warranted. Washington has a state-endangered species law. The bill also provides funding for wolf deterrents and responding to conflicts.
France cull
The wolf population in France has increased to about 530 animals, a 23-percent increase from the year before, and French officials have decided to up the country’s wolf cull from 10-12 percent of the population to 17-19 percent of the population.
For information on these stories, please check the links below.
Related Links:
Wyoming - Regulations.gov
Idaho - Capital Press
Oregon - Oregon Live
Washington - The Daily Chronicle
France - PhysOrg
Wolf Watch - By Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Ridley’s Pharmacy offers Instaclinic (posted 5/25/19)
See a medical professional right from the Pharmacy
StitchesCare is offering Instaclinic health care memberships for individuals and families through Ridley’s Family Market Pharmacies in Wyoming. Instaclinic lets individuals and families purchase affordable health care memberships which allow them to interact with a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant right from the pharmacy. If members are not at an approved Instaclinic location, they can still initiate a Telemedicine visit with a Stitches provider. This program is available at the Ridley’s Pharmacy in Pinedale. Other locations include Kemmerer, Casper, Sheridan, and Laramie. The clinics are open when the Pharmacy is open.
Click on this link for more information: https://www.stitchescare.com/
Prescribed burn planned for West Fortification Rx (posted 5/25/19)
Burns planned for near White Pine Ski Area and N Cottonwood Creek
Bridger-Teton National Forest
PINEDALE, WYOMING – The Bridger-Teton National Forest is planning to conduct a prescribed burn on the Pinedale Ranger District in June, as environmental conditions become conducive.
The West Fortification Mountain Rx is located adjacent to White Pine Ski Area approximately 10 miles north of Pinedale, Wyoming. Crews will ignite the 190-acre unit by hand using drip torches. Implementation will take one to two days and mop-up and monitoring efforts will take one to two weeks. Public information will be available on site in the White Pine parking lot during ignitions.
This burn is part implementation of the Skyline Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Reduction Project to remove hazardous fuels build up and increase firefighter and public safety in the event of a wildfire. Additional resource benefits include aspen enhancement/restoration, Douglas fir restoration, old growth tree enhancement and reduced hazard trees near powerlines and communication sites.
Fire managers are also hoping to burn the Cottonwood II Rx on the Big Piney Ranger District, in mid to late June. This 155-acre unit is located approximately 20 miles west of Daniel, Wyoming on Sjhoberg Creek on the north side of North Cottonwood Creek drainage.
Objectives include, increase aspen stand regeneration, reduce conifer encroachment, increase forage conditions for wildlife habitat and reduce hazardous fuels build-up while restoring fire-adaptive ecosystems. This vegetation treatment is an interagency cooperative effort with Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Sublette County Unified Fire and Teton Interagency Fire.
Actual ignitions for these burns will depend on meeting strict parameters for weather and fire behavior conditions. Smoke will be visible from Hwy 191/189, Pinedale and surrounding area during the ignition phase and for a short time after lighting has been completed. No closures are anticipated with these projects.
For more information on prescribed fire, fuels reduction projects, and defensible space, visit www.tetonfires.com or call the Pinedale Ranger District at (307) 367-4326.
Wolf News Roundup May 17, 2019 (posted 5/17/19)
Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Wolf delisting comment period
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has extended the comment period for its proposal to remove gray wolves in the contiguous United States from the list of federally protected species.
According to a press release from the agency: "The Service is extending by 60 days the public comment period on a proposed rule to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act. We are extending the comment period to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the proposal."
Comments must be received on or before July 15, 2019. Full details are provided at the link below.
Oregon
The Trump administration’s proposal to remove gray wolves from the list of federally protected species drew the support of the head of Oregon’s wildlife department, but the governor of that state issued a letter overriding the wildlife department, instead declaring that "The state of Oregon and its agencies do not support the delisting of wolves…"
Washington
Washington state officials are assessing whether to relocate wolves from the eastern portion of the state to the western region where no breeding wolf population currently exists. Wolves in the eastern one-third of Washington were removed from federal protections in 2011, but remain federally protected in the remainder of the state. Wolves throughout Washington are also subject to a state endangered species law.
Outfitter permit contested
A Jackson Hole outfitter illegally killed a wolf last year, and now the Humane Society of the United States has request that his outfitting license be revoked. Click on the link below for the article in the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Related Links:
Delisting proposal - Regulations.gov
Oregon spat - Post Register
Washington - Lewiston Tribune
Outfitter - Jackson Hole News & Guide
Wolf Watch - by Cat Urbigkit, Pinedale Online!
Skyline Fuels Reduction Project work resumes (posted 5/16/19)
Expect heavy logging traffic on Skyline Drive beginning May 20
Bridger-Teton National Forest
PINEDALE, WYOMING - Pinedale Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest announces that work will resume on the Skyline Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Reduction project beginning May 20.
Contract crews, timber sale loggers and Forest Service fire crews will be working on fuels treatment and timber sales units along Skyline Drive in Sweeney Creek and Kelly Park, White Pine thinning area, Surveyor Ridge and from Mulligan Park to Elkhart Park.
Visitors to the area should be aware of heavy traffic due to large logging trucks and crew haulers along the narrow, winding road. Other hazards include falling trees in the work units and equipment and chainsaw use.
Four Timber sales totaling approximately 70 acres have been awarded or will be soon, and are awaiting implementation once the ground is bare of snow and workers can access the area. Work will continue through the summer until complete.
The Skyline Fuels Reduction project was designed to lower the risk from wildfire to homes and private property by removing hazardous fuel loads in the Wildland Urban Interface. This effort will help moderate fire behavior during a wildfire and increase firefighter and public safety
Skyline Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Reduction Project Final Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact was signed in 2016.
Additional information can be found at www.tetonfires.com on the Projects page, or call the Pinedale Ranger District at 307-367-4326.
Forest Service requests public assistance identifying a person of interest in the Roosevelt Fire investigation (posted 5/15/19)
Bridger-Teton National Forest
BONDURANT, WYOMING – Fire investigators with U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations on the Bridger-Teton National Forest are continuing their efforts to locate the person, or persons responsible for the ignition of the Roosevelt Fire. The incident led to the loss of numerous private homes and structures in the Bondurant area, as well as serious injuries to National Forest visitors. Interviews conducted during the course of the investigation have led to a description of a person of interest in the case.
Investigators have determined the Roosevelt fire to be human caused, originating from an abandoned, or inadequately extinguished warming fire in the upper reaches of the Hoback River drainage. The fire ignited approximately three miles west of the Upper Hoback Trailhead, on a small topographic bench, along a steep timbered slope, approximately 110 yards above the trail, on the south side of the canyon. The area is located approximately three-quarters of a mile east of the lower reaches of Roosevelt Meadows, just inside the Sublette County line.
Investigators are seeking to identify an individual observed on the afternoon of Friday, September 14, 2018 below the point of origin. He is described as a white adult male, between the ages of 40 and 50 years old with brown hair and a short, scruffy beard. The individual is believed to be between 5'10" and 6' 0" tall, weighing approximately 185-200 pounds. He was seen carrying both a hunting rifle and compound bow on his pack that day. He was reported to be glassing the north rim of the canyon for an extended period of time. It's believed this person may have information as to how the fire began.
Anyone with information as to the cause of the incident, or the identity of the individual observed in the area, is urged to contact U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement at 208-557-5852. Please leave a detailed message with information as to how investigators may reach you. Continued support from National Forest visitors and our citizen partners in the community is greatly appreciated.
BLM Wyoming seeks nominations to Resource Advisory Council (posted 5/6/19)
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it is seeking public nominations for positions on 31 Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) nationwide. These citizen-based committees assist in the development of recommendations that address public land management issues.
The BLM maintains 38 such advisory committees formally chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Federal Policy and Land Management Act (FLPMA) across the West. Of those committees, 31 are RACs and the remainder site or subject-specific Advisory Councils. Each RAC consists of 10 to 15 members from diverse interests in local communities, and they assist in the development of recommendations that address public land management issues.
"Input from local communities and stakeholders is crucial towards improving our management of public lands. Our Wyoming Resource Advisory Council is designed to enable local leaders to provide us feedback on current issues, concerns and proposals," said BLM Wyoming State Director Mary Jo Rugwell. "By including diverse membership from across the state, we further our goal of ensuring we receive a wide variety of public perspectives to guide our work."
RACs are critical in assisting the BLM in continuing to be a good neighbor in communities served by the Bureau, providing advice and recommendations on issues including land use planning, fire management, off-highway vehicle use, recreation, oil and gas exploration, noxious weed management, grazing issues, and wild horse and burro herd management issues.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on a RAC. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be reviewed based on their training, education, and knowledge of the RAC’s geographic area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision-making. Letters of reference must accompany all nominations from any represented interests or organizations, a completed RAC application, and any other information that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications. To access the Wyoming RAC application materials, visit .
The Wyoming RAC has seven different positions open in the following categories:
• Category One – Representatives of organizations associated with energy/mineral development; federal grazing permit holders; the timber industry; transportation or rights-of-way; off-highway vehicles users; and commercial and developed outdoor recreation.
• Category Two – Representatives of archaeological and historic organizations; dispersed recreation users; wild horse and burros organizations; and nationally or regionally-recognized environmental organizations.
• Category Three – Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; Indian tribes located within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; academicians employed in natural resource management or natural sciences; employees of a state agency responsible for management of natural resources; and the public at large.
As published in a notice in today’s Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 45 days, until Sunday, June 14. For more information, please contact Emmet Pruss, Wyoming RAC Coordinator, epruss@blm.gov, 307-775-6266.
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PacifiCorp updates economic analysis of coal fleet (posted 4/25/19)
Updated study will inform broader resource plan development
Rocky Mountain Power
SALT LAKE CITY, April 25, 2019 — PacifiCorp has released an updated economic study of its coal fleet that will inform how the company meets the long-term customer energy needs of its customers. PacifiCorp operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, Utah and Idaho.
The study was conducted as part of the company’s 2019 Integrated Resource Plan, which is still under development and anticipated to be completed in August. The IRP, which is updated every two years, identifies actions the company anticipates taking over the next 20 years to provide reliable and least-cost electricity to customers.
Informed by the earlier analysis of 22 coal units, the study reviewed coal units that are part of PacifiCorp’s broader resource mix to determine if customers would benefit from closing a unit or combination of units earlier than currently planned. Most of the company’s coal units will reach the end of their depreciable lives at different points over the next 20 years.
While no resource decision will be made ahead of completion of the 2019 IRP, the study identified potential benefits for customers through early retirement of some coal units.
"We continuously examine the costs and benefits of how the company generates electricity to ensure we are making the best decisions for customers," said Rick Link, PacifiCorp vice president of resource planning and acquisitions. "The study reflects the ongoing changing economics for coal driven by market forces."
For purposes of the study, the company examined whether customers would benefit if units are retired as early as 2022 and replaced with other resources. The timing and sequencing of any actual coal unit closures will ultimately be determined by a range of factors that also include workforce and community transition considerations.
The units the study identifies as being less economic to operate beyond 2022 than alternatives and are candidates for early retirement are:
• Naughton Units 1 and 2 in Wyoming.
• Jim Bridger Units 1 and 2 in Wyoming. PacifiCorp is a majority owner and the operator of these units.
Next steps. The company anticipates issuing a preferred portfolio for input from regulators and stakeholders before submitting a final plan to state regulators in August.
The company will also work to ensure communities and employees that would be affected by the potential early plant closures are informed and involved in the process.
"We understand the impact of these resource decisions on customers, employees and communities and are committed to ensuring these impacts are known and planned for," said Link.
The completed coal unit analysis can be seen through the following link
http://www.pacificorp.com/es/irp.html
50 Best Hikes in the U.S.
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Cirque of the Towers Trail named Wyoming’s Best Hike by Outside magazine (posted 4/16/19)
Great Outdoor Shop mentioned as place to stock up on gear
Outside magazine posted an article online on April 15th listing "The 50 Best Hikes in the U.S.," calling it a bucket-list-worthy, best-of-the-best guide. The magazine polled their writers and editors to come up with what they feel are the very best hike in each of the states of the nation.
Here is what they had to say about Wyoming:
The Cirque of the Towers Trail
The granite spires that make up the Cirque of the Towers, in the heart of Wyoming’s Wind River range, contain some of the finest rock climbing in the country. But the range is also a hiker’s dream: lake, rivers, fishing, views, wildflowers, you name it. The 18-mile out and back Cirque of the Towers Trail gets you right into the business. And don’t forget to stock up at the Great Outdoor Shop in nearby Pinedale before launching off into the backcountry.
Click on this link to read the full article: THE 50 BEST HIKES IN THE U.S.
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