Annual Report 2015
WYOMING
ILD
Wand
WORKING
The Nature Conservancy
in Wyoming (as of June 30, 2015)
STAFF LEADERSHIP TEAM
Andrea Erickson Quiroz, State Director
Richard Garrett, Director of External Affairs
Molly Hampton, Director of Development
Paula Hunker, Associate State Director
Arlen Lancaster, Conservation Director
Jim Reasor, Director of Finance
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Steve Buskirk, Laramie
John Carney, Jackson
Mary Anne Dingus, Cody
Mark Doelger, Casper
Frank Goodyear, Jr., Cody
Brian Kuehl, Sheridan
Ken Lay, Glenrock
Mayo Lykes, Wilson
Chris Madson, Cheyenne
Peter Nicolaysen, Casper
Judy Opatrny, Jackson
Anne Pendergast, Big Horn
Lollie Plank, Banner
J. D. Radakovich, Cody
Deborah de la Reguera, Lander
Jason Shogren, Laramie
Adair Stifel, Dubois
Margie Taylor, Sheridan
David Work, Victor, ID
EMERITUS TRUSTEES
Frank Bonsal
Barron Collier, II
Dennis Knight
Gilman Ordway
Fred Whiting
Anne Young
Dear Friends,
In The Geography of Hope, Wallace Stegner wrote “One cannot be pessimistic about
the west. This is the native home of hope.”
I couldn’t agree more and I’ve never been more hopeful about our beloved Wyoming.
Yet, it’s also the right time for me to embrace new challenges. I’m eager to take an
issue that Wyoming has taught me a lot about—water—and work across The Nature
Conservancy to provide solutions for both people and nature. While change is hard,
I step down as your director secure in the knowledge that The Nature Conservancy
of Wyoming is poised so well for the future. That’s because of you, dear friends, and
all of our many friends around our great state.
Our brand of science-based, solution-oriented, collaborative conservation has made a difference. In the
past 10 years, the Conservancy has greatly expanded our freshwater conservation efforts, supporting
communities and landowners. We’ve used science to help guide energy development decisions, seeking
practical solutions to tough problems. We’ve expanded outreach programs to help fledge tomorrow’s
conservation leaders. We’ve catalyzed community events such as Jackson’s Earth Day and Cody River
Days. And we continue to work side by side with landowners around the state who have chosen to
protect their land for wildlife and ranching, leaving a legacy for generations to come.
I am so proud of it all. But I’m most proud of what Wyoming has accomplished together. We’ve
proven that when we join together we are a truly big force, one that is able to help make even greater
things happen.
For example, since I arrived in 2005, the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust was
established by the legislature and now funds projects around the state. Years of science and pragmatic
conservation efforts, with Wyoming governors leading the way, led to the recent decision by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service not to list the greater sage-grouse. The largest conservation effort in U.S.
history, if fully implemented, it’ll be a true success for collaborative conservation. These milestones
are all signs of a bright future.
Like you, I want to live in a Wyoming with resilient lands and healthy waters where the future of
nature is secure. There is an urgency to act but there are many reasons to be hopeful, starting with
you. Stegner was right: we live in the native home of hope.
Thank you so very much for your loyal support.
It’s been a true treasure and privilege to serve you.
Andrea Erickson Quiroz
Wyoming State Director
ON THE COVER CLOCKWISE FROM TOP ©Scott
2 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Copeland, ©Timothy Rockhold, ©Scott Copeland, ©Chuck Diggins, © Amy Pocewicz
THIS PAGE Andrea Erickson Quiroz © Joe Quiroz
OPPOSITE PAGE Sage grouse ©Joe Kiesecker; Pile of old fencing ©Nathan Korb; Mule deer ©Scott Copeland; Eagle in flight © Shutterstock
By the Numbers
Every year, our supporters help us to achieve newer and greater conservation successes.
We’re very proud of the progress we’ve made in conserving our spectacular state, but
there’s still more to do.
People “liked” the chapter
Facebook page
1,034
546
acres conserved with the Green
and Walter easements
682,034
80%
acres conserved through
stewardship and habitat
improvement
of historic sage-grouse
habitat has been lost
386,465
acres of sage-grouse habitat
conserved in Wyoming with
help from the Conservancy
4.25
miles of fencing were removed or
modified this year on Wyoming
chapter preserves to make it
more wildlife-friendly
3,036
miles of waterways restored
6,000
mule deer use a highway
underpass on the
Weber ranch where the
Conservancy has just placed
a conservation easement *
120
acres of grassland protected
by conservation easement on
the Green Ranch southwest
of Cheyenne.
69
golden eagle nests have been
sighted near the Weber Ranch
where the Conservancy has
placed a conservation easement *
*See story on page 6.
3
Healthy Waters
Restoring Natural Balance with the Sweetwater Wet Meadow Project
Diminished winter snowpack and raging
spring runoff, phenomena that rob many
streams of their once-robust summer flows,
seem to be the norm in many parts of the
West these days. July 2015 went down in the
books as the warmest on record, serving as a
reminder that a changing climate will make
a profound difference in our lives. That’s
why a project taking place on The Nature
Conservancy’s Sweetwater River Preserve
holds important promise. Its goal is to hold
more water in the system throughout the year,
making it available for fish, wildlife and human
use, even in the face of a changing climate.
While we have become accustomed to seeing
rushing waterways with deeply cut stream banks
and grass growing right up to the edge, that’s
not the natural condition for many of these
rivers and creeks. Instead, it’s the result of
several factors. First, historic grazing practices
cleared out native streamside plants, such as
willows, that stabilized banks and prevented
down-cutting. Another factor was the removal
of beavers, whose dams helped hold sediment
and slowed flows so that water could pool, create
wet meadows, and seep into the ground where
it was stored. In addition to creating a haven
4 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
“We have good science backing up what we’re doing and, if these
first projects work well, we hope to get funding to expand them.”
for wildlife within these arid sage lands, the
retention of water means that it is released
in more moderate flows throughout the year,
rather than rushing off in the spring and
dwindling to a mere trickle later in the season.
In recent years, land managers have taken steps
to help stop the damage, mainly by limiting
livestock access to natural waterways. But that
alone isn’t enough to restore the streams to their
natural function. That’s where the Conservancy
and our partners are stepping in.
We’ve begun restoration efforts on several of
the tributaries of the Sweetwater River that
flow across our preserve. In addition to building
fences and other barriers to disperse livestock
away from delicate banks, we’re planting
hundreds of willow trees and creating small
barriers within the streams to capture sediment
and slow down the flows. In time, when the
willows and other vegetation have matured
and stabilized, we hope to reintroduce beavers,
whose dams will naturally do the work of
stabilizing banks and slowing flows.
Of course, in the arid West, anything that
alters the flow of water is bound to be
controversial. But on our preserve we’re able
to experiment with techniques that might be
impossible for public land managers to try.
Southern Wyoming land steward John
Coffman says that it could be decades before
the systems are totally restored, but without
intervention, it might never happen.
“We have good science backing up what we’re
doing and, if these first projects work well,
we hope to get funding to expand them,”
said Coffman.
If all goes as planned, these techniques can be
replicated on other private and public land.
OPPOSITE PAGE (top) Fences are being built to keep livestock away from creeks and meadows.© John Coffman;
(bottom) Researchers are loading cut sage brush into deeply eroded creeks in order to slow flows and decrease downcutting. © John Coffman
Making Way for
Nature’s Architects
BEFORE TREATMENT
AFTER TREATMENT
Beavers were once ubiquitous in the rivers
and streams of North America, but their
near-demise dramatically altered the course
of many Western waterways. The decline of
the beaver was due primarily to the whims of
fashion. For nearly three centuries, from the
1550s to the 1850s, the demand for beaver
fur hats drove a trade that spanned two
continents and stoked a major British
industry. In fact, the search for beaver pelts
was a major force driving the exploration and
settlement of North America. By the mid1880s, beavers were nearly extinct in Europe
and had disappeared from much of the
United States as well. Today, beavers are
making a comeback. What’s more, we realize
that these busy architects are part of a
natural cycle and that their work can restore
lost wetland habitats.
with beaver pelts © Montana Historical
Society Research Center Photo Archives
THIS PAGE Trapper
5
Resilient Land
Partnering with Private Landowners to Achieve Conservation Success
and the ranch falls within an important fall
migration route for raptors.
The ranch was homesteaded by Matt’s father’s
family, and he’s spent most of his 57 years there.
“Every time I leave to go to Denver or Cheyenne
all I see is the open country getting broken up
into private homes,” says Matt. A lover of his
sage-dotted home, he realizes it isn’t a landscape
for everyone. “It’s as disturbing to me to see all
the cars and homes as it is for some people not to
see them!”
Matt and Sherry Weber’s ranch near Baggs is
an oasis for some of Wyoming’s most iconic
wildlife. Surrounded by heavily developed oil
and gas fields and planned industrial wind
farms, a major migration route for mule deer
runs across the ranch. There have also been
69 sightings of golden eagle nests within a
three-mile radius of the property. In fact, it
was the concentration of eagles in the vicinity
that helped make funding for a 3,802-acre
conservation easement on the ranch possible,
through a golden eagle impact mitigation fund.
The majority of the land under easement has
high potential as golden eagle breeding habitat,
6 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
The ranch is located along Muddy Creek,
whose upper reaches are home to several rare
species, including Colorado River cutthroat
trout. Matt says that water is the key to life in
the West and he knows that Muddy Creek and
the other drainages that cross his place are as
good for wildlife as for his own cattle. So are the
improvements that he makes to his land.
“When you enhance your range, the new growth
of sagebrush helps the mule deer and grass helps
the cattle, so one helps the other. It all goes hand
in hand.”
Rather than trucking their cattle between
winter and summer pastures, the Webers trail
their cattle along the same path that the mule
deer follow on their seasonal migrations. The
deer herd on the Weber place is one of the
most studied in Wyoming, so scientists really
understand what development of this land could
have meant for their future.
“The northern range for this migration route has
been heavily affected by energy development,”
says Jen Lamb, Southwest Program Director
for The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming.
“If we lost this southern section across the
Webers’ ranch, a significant corridor within this
traditional migration path could be cut off.”
Matt believes that the only way that young
ranchers will be able to make a go of it is by
improving their range land. He also thinks that
the future will depend on good partnerships
between landowners and conservation groups
such as the Conservancy.
“We’re not going to move forward in a positive
way until everybody sits down at the table to
decide what’s going to happen.”
(Funding or assistance in securing this easement came
from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust,
The Conservation Fund, the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, and the Webers.)
OPPOSITE PAGE
THIS PAGE Weber’s ranch © Paula Hunker
Golden eagle in grass © William Burkett; Mule deer © Alan W. Eckert
“If we lost this southern section across the Webers’ ranch, a significant corridor within
this traditional migration path could be cut off.” - Jen Lamb, Southwest Program Director, The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming
7
Securing the Future of Conservation
Tapping into The Passion of Youth
where I could feel even more passion about
working for this in the future,” says Mariscal.
into a rushing, icy cold creek to rescue a young
calf that had followed its mother as she crossed
the torrent.
For four weeks, she and six fellow students
pulled down fences, uprooted invasive weeds and “I did a lot of FFA (Future Farmers of America),
maintained trails on our Heart Mountain Ranch
but I’ve never been a ranch hand before, so this
and Tensleep preserves.
has been a great experience and I’ve learned a lot.”
“It would be hard to find a group with a better
work ethic than these girls have,” says Carrie
Peters, who manages the preserve with her
husband Brian.
Wallace Stegner once wrote that “The lessons
of life amount not to wisdom, but to scar tissue
and callus.” Judging by that standard, our
hardworking crews of young interns pack in a
whole lot of learning each summer. They should
also make anyone who’s pessimistic about the
future of conservation feel a lot more hopeful.
High school student Samantha Mariscal
ventured all the way from inner city Los
Angeles to be part of the Wyoming crew of the
Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future
(LEAF) program.
“I’m very passionate about The Nature
Conservancy’s mission and wanted to be in nature
A native of Wheatland, 20-year-old Josiah
doesn’t have his mind set on a career in ranching.
He’s looking toward work in habitat restoration
and reclamation. But he did such a great job as
a ranch hand that he’s been invited back to help
out next summer.
For Josiah Masie, it was a comparatively short
trip from Laramie, where he’s a rangeland
These interns’ valuable service helps the
ecology major at the University of Wyoming.
Conservancy manage our holdings, but as
He was an intern with the Rangeland Institute,
Southern Wyoming Land Steward John
a partnership between the Conservancy, the
Coffman says, there’s more going on.
Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the
Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts.
“Besides the help we get…they learn that the
The internship gives beginning ranchers,
tools of ranching are also tools that shape the
farmers and range specialists a taste of ranch life
land. There’s value in getting that message
for a summer.
out and exposing them to hard work and the
conservation ethic.”
Josiah handled tasks as varied as haying,
irrigating, installing enclosures for restoration
In addition to the LEAF and Rangeland
experiments and fixing a whole lot of fences on
Institute interns, the Conservancy has also
the Conservancy’s Red Canyon Ranch Preserve.
benefited from young workers with the Montana
Definitely the kind of work that builds calluses
and Wyoming Conservation Corps.
and character! He even found himself diving
THIS PAGE Josiah
Masie courtesy of Josiah Masie
2015 LEAF interns © Carrie Peters;
Moving cattle ©Josiah Masie; Tools of the trade © Kathy Lichtendahl
OPPOSITE PAGE
8 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
For some, these experiences will be great summer
memories as they move into various careers. But
whether they go into the field of conservation
or not, their time with the Conservancy imbues
in them an appreciation for nature and the
complexities of preserving the lands and waters
that we cherish and need. Of course, many
will go on to be conservation leaders and
thoughtful stewards. So for the Conservancy, the
programs are more than a way to secure seasonal
workers; they’re an investment in the future of
conservation itself.
“I know I want to work in the
environmental field, and LEAF has
given me the opportunity to get a
taste of different kinds of jobs.”
- Mira Peterson, LEAF intern
Donor Profile
The conservation work that we do would not be possible without the generosity of a
spectacular group of donors. We wanted to take this opportunity to profile one of these
loyal supporters: the LOR Foundation.
According to April Norton, program officer for
the Foundation, “Our approach to communitydriven conservation is unique. We meet
communities where they are to help solve the
issues they are facing by supporting their vision
for livability and quality of life—by protecting
the landscape they occupy and improving
their access to nature, recreation, clean water,
transportation options, cultural experiences, and
economic stability.”
The organization was founded in 2007 by
Amy Wyss, a passionate philanthropist and
community volunteer with a deep appreciation
for the unique landscapes and small towns
of the Intermountain West. The LOR
Foundation’s community-driven conservation
model is shaping the strategy of conservation
organizations and funders across the West.
LOR’s approach to conservation is helping rural
communities in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New
Mexico and Wyoming take the lead in creating a
vision for their futures.
THIS PAGE
10 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Norton explains, “The LOR Foundation’s vision
is to create a conservation easement fund focused
on Wyoming projects that provide public access
and benefit to local communities. That vision has
been leveraged and informed by the passionate
and knowledgeable staff at TNC. Without
their research and expertise, projects like the
Green Ranch would never have happened. We’re
delighted to call TNC a partner and excited
about the future projects for the fund.”
At a time when the Conservancy has been taking
an increasingly community-centered approach to
conservation, support from the LOR Foundation
has helped catalyze our work in that direction.
One recent example was the easement the
Conservancy placed on the Green Ranch, near
Cheyenne. The project, the first to be funded by
LOR’s Wyoming Conservation Fund, helped to
consolidate habitat that was spread across public
and private land. Together, we have conserved
and provided public access to an important piece
of open space that is valuable to both the local
community and wildlife.
The Green Ranch easement was made possible with funds from the LOR Foundation. © Brent Lathrop; April Norton courtesy of the LOR Foundation
OPPOSITE PAGE Fox kits © Scott Copeland
CONSERVATION STATISTICS
The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming’s FY15 conservation
successes are reflected in—and supported by—our equally strong
financial performance.
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY’S
PROGRAMMATIC
EFFICIENCY
(from audited FY14 numbers)
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS
In FY15, the Wyoming chapter received $4,456,000 in private cash
contributions from members and donors. In addition, the chapter
received $792,000 in grants from government agencies.
The chapter received more than $2.6 million through gifts of
conservation easements from dedicated landowners. The value of
these easements, which cannot be sold, make up the majority of
the conservation lands on our balance sheets and reflect the
generosity of Wyoming landowners who, to date, have granted
173 easements to the Conservancy.
To ensure that we will always be able to meet our tremendous
responsibilities to monitor and protect our conservation
easements and investments, we have built an endowment of
$14.4 million. The majority of our endowment contributions are
bequests from generous Conservancy supporters who include
the Wyoming chapter in their estate plans.
17%
13%
Programs 70%
Fundraising and Membership 13%
General and Administration 17%
FY15 SOURCES OF REVENUE
(JULY 1, 2014–JUNE 30, 2015)
70%
39%
Gifts of Conservation
Easements
3%
Use of Endowment
3%
Other
20%
5%
Land Sales*
Public Grants
30%
* Land purchased by the
Conservancy and sold with
an easement placed on it
Private Contributions from
Members and Donors
11
FY15 Annual Supporters List
The following donors made gifts/pledges to the Wyoming program or live in Wyoming
and made gifts/pledges to other Conservancy programs between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
CONSERVATION EASEMENT
DONORS
Robert E. Green
Dr. & Mrs. Charles Walter
$1M+
Anonymous (1)
Diane & Kim Boyle
LOR Foundation
Knobloch Family Foundation
$100,000–$999,999
Drs. Lenox & Fran Baker, Jr.
The Conservation Fund
Shelby & Gale Davis
Ken Lay* & Allesandra Iorio
David MacKenzie
Nancy-Carroll Draper Foundation
Judy* & Donald Opatrny
Gil* & Marge Ordway
$10,000–$99,999
Anonymous (3)
William & Terri Baas
Robert & Carol Berry - Wolf Creek
Charitable Foundation
Lisa Carlin and Family in memory
of David Carlin
John* & Elaine Carney
Mr. & Mrs. Barron Collier, II*
Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
The Courtenay C. & Lucy Patten Davis
Foundation
Deborah de la Reguera*
Mary Anne* & William Dingus
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Anne & Charles W. Duncan, Jr.
John P. Ellbogen Foundation
Nell Fraser
Frank* & Elizabeth Goodyear, Jr.
Ralph & Louise Haberfeld
Oak Leaf Award Winners
Conservancy president Mark Tercek proudly presented Anne Young and Jim Nielson
with the Oak Leaf Award, the Conservancy’s highest honor. Unflagging champions for
our Heart Mountain Ranch Preserve, Anne and Jim believe strongly in the Conservancy’s
values and science-based approach. Anne exudes an endless passion for our work
and sweeps up everyone with her enthusiasm and smile. Jim is able to see the value of
conservation at a large scale and with unexpected partnerships. Anne was a founding
member of the chapter, joining us in 1990. She served as an active and committed
Trustee for 17 years before becoming a Trustee Emeritus. Congratulations on this
well-deserved recognition!
12 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
C. P. Johnson Family Charitable
Foundation
Dr. Elizabeth Keithley
Marathon Oil Corporation
Mr. & Mrs. Forrest E. Mars, Jr.
Richard J. & Kiristine E. McGuire
Muley Fanatic Foundation
Linda & Reid Murchison
Larry & Susan Patrick
Anne Pendergast*
Lollie Benz Plank*
Bayard & Elizabeth Rea
James & Christine Scott
Margaret J. Taylor
Wells Fargo Foundation
Nick & Whiteley Wheeler
Rick & Jeannie Whiting
John & Tish Winsor
David* & Susan Work
Wyoming Community Foundation
$1,000–$9,999
Anonymous (5)
Nancy Brizuela, Antelope Dash
Paul Asper & Nancy Weidman
Dorothy K. Baker
James & Lynn Bama
Joe & Gainor Bennett
Terry & Lynn Birdsong
Gay Bolln
Lynn & Rick Boomgaarden
Dr. Steve* & Beth Buskirk
James D. Campbell
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Campbell
Jeff Carlton
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Otis Carney
Corlene Cathcart, Seven C Foundation
Charles & Ann Catlett
Christ Episcopal Church
Collister Family Fund in memory
of David Carlin
Mr. & Mrs. F. J. Corwell, Jr.
Jim & Ginger Dager
Doug & Michele Dillard
Daniel Doak & Alexandra Rose
Mark* & Nancy Doelger
David & Sarah Doll
Nancy & David Donovan
Eleanor R. Rowland Trust
Andrea Erickson Quiroz* & Joe Quiroz
Tom & Tania Evans
Lee M. Grace, Jr.
Richard & Susie Granville
Molly* & Bruce Hampton
The Hart Family, Clarks Fork Foundation
Mike & Sarah Healy
The A. C. & Penney Hubbard
Foundation, Inc.
Eric Huber
George & Paula* Hunker
Robert & Michele Keith, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. William Kerr in memory of
David Carlin
Jerry & Viesia Kirk
Tom & Katy Klotz
Dennis* & Judy Knight
Lander Community Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lansing in honor of
Teddy Depree
Mr. & Mrs. James Lawrence
Sandy Leotta
Kenneth & Kathleen Lichtendahl
Charles & Doe Godchaux
David & Catherine Loevner
Mayo* & Susan Lykes
Jonathan & Virginia Madsen
Ester Murray
National Wild Turkey Federation SD/WY Chapter
George & Abby M. O’Neill
Dr. & Mrs. Ronald Orbin
Thomas & Paula Osborne
Jim & Willinda Dee Oudin
Leigh & Annie Perkins
Pheasants Forever
Marnie Pillsbury
OPPOSITE PAGE ©
THIS PAGE © Caryn Throop
Justin Sheely; © Johnson family
In Memoriam
C. PAUL JOHNSON
A “larger than life” friend to our Wyoming chapter, C. Paul Johnson,
passed away April 9, 2015. Father to Wyoming Board of Trustees
member Deborah de la Reguera, Paul was 83 years old. He and his
family foundation provided the first gift to our 2008–2014 Wyoming
Wild and Working campaign, benefiting grasslands in Wyoming and
Africa. Paul was the founder of First Colonial Bankshares Corporation in
Chicago. He and his wife, Anne (also a valuable board member of The
Nature Conservancy and donor to Tensleep Preserve, who passed away
in May 2005), bought a 4,700-acre ranch in Lander in 1970. Both of
them truly valued Wyoming open spaces, wildlife and ranching culture.
In addition, Paul was a ready advisor. A great business mind, he loved
nothing better than grabbing a napkin and a pen to help us think
through complex problems. “His heartfelt intent to help us with the hard
stuff, without reservation, is what I will take with me. I’m so grateful for
all his many gifts to us, but most of all I will miss his bright eyes, quick
mind and rascally sense of humor,” says Andrea Erickson Quiroz, the
Conservancy’s Wyoming state director.
Paul embodied the true spirit of a philanthropist and was generous to
many charities throughout the world. Most importantly, he always took
the time to show a genuine interest in and kindness to every individual
he met. We are truly grateful for his and his family’s long-term support
for our conservation work.
13
Frank Pisch
Michael Meyer & Kathleen Remus
Keith & Kathleen Rittle
Stephen & Lisa Robertson
Scott Rosenlieb
Roberta Rossetter
Nancy Schiffer
John A. Sherman, Jr.
Daniel Smith
The Snowdon-Desgouttes Fund of the
Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
in memory of David Carlin
Arnold & Adair* Stifel
Michelle Sullivan & Brian Kuehl*
Naoma Tate
Trillium Family Foundation
Stephen & Amy Unfried in memory of
David Carlin
The Private Client Reserve of U.S. Bank,
National Association in memory of
David Carlin
Pearre & Page* Williams
Dr. Karen & Steve Williams
Peter & Marla Wold
Yonder Star
NEW LEGACY CLUB MEMBERS
Anonymous (2)
Catharine Bell & Robert Weiglein
Helen & John Boyce
Diane & Kim Boyle
Richard Kent
John & Donna Lotshaw
Terry & Carolyn McClellan
Maya Spies
Mr. & Mrs. Urberg
COLLABORATION IS KEY
Beckton Stock Farm
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area
BP American Production Company
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
Center for the Arts-Jackson Hole
Charture Institute
Cheyenne High Plains Audubon
City of Cheyenne
City of Cheyenne Parks & Recreation
City of Cheyenne Public Works
City of Cody
Cody Parks, Recreation and Public
Facilities Department
Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
Cottonwood/Grass Creek Watershed
Improvement District
Cottonwood Creek/Grass Creek
Coordinated Resource
Management Group
Draper Natural History Museum
Ducks Unlimited
Environmental Defense Fund
Family Farm Alliance
Fremont County Weed and Pest
Gradient Mountain Sports
Green River Valley Land Trust
Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation
Hillberry Ranches
Hot Springs Conservation District
Hot Springs County Weed and Pest
Intermountain West Joint Venture
Jackson Hole Land Trust
Jackson Hole One Fly Capital Foundation
Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival
Lake Desmet Conservation District
Land Steward Services
Laramie County Conservation District
Laramie Rivers Conservation District
Larimer County Colorado Open Space
Larimer County, CO
Little Snake River Conservation District
LU Ranch
Marathon Oil Co.
Meadowlark Audubon Society
Medicine Bow Conservation District
Minnesota State University
Montana Conservation Corps
Muley Fanatic Foundation
National Audubon Society - Rockies
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
National Museum of Wildlife Art
National Park Service - Rivers Trails and
Conservation Assistance Pgm
North Fork Anglers
Northern Great Plains Joint Venture
Northwest College
Padlock Ranch
Park County Weed & Pest
Popo Agie Conservation District
Powell - Clarks Fork Conservation District
QEP
Red Canyon Coordinated Resource
Management Group
Restoring Sacred Lands on Common
Ground Alliance
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Sage Grouse Initiative
Saratoga - Encampment-Rawlins
Conservation District
Science Kids
Sheridan College
Sheridan Community Land Trust
Sheridan County
Sheridan County Conservation District
Sheridan County Land Trust
Shoshone Recreation District
Society of American Foresters
Sonoran Institute
State Engineers Office
Sublette County Conservation District
TCTWest
Teton County School District
Teton Science School
The Conservation Fund
Thunder Basin Prairie
Ecosystem Association
Tom Hauge
Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited, East Yellowstone Chapter
Ucross Foundation
Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative
University of Wyoming - Ruckelshaus
Institute
University of Montana
University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming - Extension
University of Wyoming - Biodiversity
Institute
University of Wyoming - Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit
US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service
US Department of Agriculture - Natural
Resources Conservation Service
US Department of Agriculture - United
States Forest Service
US Department of Interior - Bureau of
Land Management
US Department of Interior - Fish &
Wildlife Service
US Department of Interior - Fish & Wildlife
Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife
US Environmental Protection Agency
Washakie County Conservation District
Washakie County Weed and Pest
Wild West Paddle Club
Wyoming Association of
Conservation Districts
Wyoming Association of
Professional Archeologists
Wyoming Business Council
Wyoming Department of Agriculture
Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality
Wyoming Game & Fish Department
Wyoming Governor’s Big Game
License Coalition
Wyoming Migration Initiative
Wyoming Native Plant Society
Wyoming Natural Diversity Database
Wyoming State Forestry Division
Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural
Land Trust
Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Wyoming Water Development
Commission
Wyoming Wetlands Society
Wyoming Wildlife & Natural Resource
Trust Fund
Yale School of Forestry and
Environmental Studies
And thank you to 2,000+
supporters who also contributed
amounts up to $999.
*Wyoming board member, emeritus board
member or staff member.
We have made every attempt to make certain that this information is correct, and we
apologize for any unseen errors. Please contact Sara Deur, development manager, at
[email protected] if you note any inaccuracies.
The mission of
The Nature
Conservancy is
to conserve
the lands and
waters on which
all life depends.
THIS PAGE ©
14 WYOMING ANNUAL REPORT 2015
OPPOSITE PAGE ©
Caryn Throop
Michael Berman
Meet Richard Garrett
Our New Director of External Affairs
We are pleased to
welcome Richard Garrett
to our staff as Director of
External Affairs. Richard
joins us after seven years
with the Wyoming
Outdoor Council, where
he was a legislative
advocate and energy
policy analyst. He has a
solid reputation for
helping to find solutions
that benefit Wyoming, its
natural resources and our
environmental and
energy security.
Wyoming Grasslands
Photographs by Michael P. Berman and William S. Sutton
Now available in bookstores and online.
Richard Garrett, External Affairs Director, with retired
Representative John Dingell, author of one of our
nation’s most important conservation programs - the
Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Photo courtesy of Richard Garrett
“The broad respect he
has earned throughout
the state will make him a tremendous asset to our conservation
efforts,” says Andrea Erickson Quiroz, state director for The Nature
Conservancy in Wyoming.
Richard says he is honored to be part of a solid team. “I’ve long
admired the work of The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming and its
balanced, science-based approach to protecting our state, its open
spaces and wildlife.”
A Wyoming native, Richard is an avid cyclist, hiker and angler. In
addition to doing conservation advocacy, he has worked in technology
and business development, served as a full-time volunteer for Habitat
for Humanity, and worked in his dad’s business in Casper. He lives
with his family in Lander, where he gets outdoors as often as possible.
15
The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming
258 Main Street
Lander, Wyoming 82520
nature.org/wyoming
FPO
We recently updated our donor communication system. If you received duplicates of
this report or other Conservancy mailings or notice errors in your mailing address,
please contact Sara Deur at [email protected].
Thank you for your continued support!
FPO
Like us at facebook.com/NatureConservancyWyoming
Leave a Lasting
Legacy for Wyoming
Join the Legacy Club by making a contribution to The
Nature Conservancy through your will, an estate plan or a
life income gift. It’s a great way to ensure that your love for
Wyoming’s lands and waters endures long into the future.
Anyone can make a bequest, and no amount is too small.
Join us today!
For more information, visit nature.org/legacy
or contact Sara Deur, Wyoming Development Manager,
307-335-2137 ([email protected]).
We all love something about Wyoming! © TNC
The Nature Conservancy cannot render tax or legal advice. Please consult a
qualified financial advisor before making a gift.
Aspens and first snow ©Scott Copeland