Feds seek comments on exchange at Carbon County’s Wick Wildlife Habitat Management

(Press release) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public comment on a draft environmental assessment regarding the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s proposed land exchange on the Wick Wildlife Habitat Management Area in Carbon County.  Public comments will be accepted for a 15-day period, which started on Oct. 3, 2014 and ends Oct. 18, 2014.

The Service is reviewing a proposed grant for an exchange of an isolated parcel of the Wick WHMA containing 160 acres located outside the main boundary of the WHMA. This parcel provides no public access for recreational use and does not provide quality habitat needs for big game species.  In return, WGFD will receive a 160-acre private parcel of equal monetary value, located on the southern boundary of the WHMA. 

This parcel provides high-quality winter range for elk and deer; increases access to hunting, fishing, and recreational use of the wildlife resources; protects WGFD property rights; and allows for more cost-effective management of the WHMA. WGFD has determined that the proposed exchange parcel will provide increased benefits for wildlife and resource management efforts. 

The Draft EA was prepared by the Fish and Wildlife Service and WGFD, and it analyzes the environmental effects of the proposed land exchange. The service concluded that the proposed project will not negatively impact floodplains, wetlands, or historical or cultural resources. It also will not negatively impact threatened, endangered, or candidate species. The Draft EA determined that the proposed land exchange will benefit local fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

Copies of the Draft EA, which include details of the proposed action and the alternatives considered, are available online by clicking on the title of the document at this link.

Hard copies of the Draft EA may be obtained by calling the Services’ Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program at 303-236-8156.

Comments should be sent to:
Chief, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 25486
Denver, CO 80225