• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

WyoFile

Indepth News about Wyoming People, Places & Policy. Wyoming news.

  • Latest News
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Legislature
    • Native America
    • Natural Resources
    • People
    • Photo Friday
    • Places
    • Policy
  • Voices
    • Drake’s Take
    • Madden’s Measure
    • Guest Column
    • Studio Wyoming Review
  • Support WyoFile
    • Membership
    • Publisher’s Circle
    • Institutional Supporters
    • Underwrite WyoFile
  • COVID-19
  • Latest News
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Legislature
    • Native America
    • Natural Resources
    • People
    • Photo Friday
    • Places
    • Policy
  • Voices
    • Drake’s Take
    • Madden’s Measure
    • Guest Column
    • Studio Wyoming Review
  • Support WyoFile
    • Membership
    • Publisher’s Circle
    • Institutional Supporters
    • Underwrite WyoFile
  • COVID-19

Red-Desert-to-Hoback protection has a precedent

Red-Desert-to-Hoback protection has a precedent

A mule deer is set free to rejoin its herd near Cokeville. Researchers hope the information they gain from studies will preserve one of Wyomng's natural treasures. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile)

Opinion
December 14, 2018 by Dave Hohl 3 Comments

Tweet
Share
Pin
Email
0 Shares
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Over 100 years ago Abner Luman created the Green River Drift, a grazing system where he moved his cows more than 100 miles each way from near La Barge to the upper Green River near Union Pass, and then back again. The cows grazed slowly up the Green as the grass greened up in the spring, spent the summer in high meadows, and grazed slowly back down to La Barge in the fall. The grazing during the trip, both up and down, was a crucial portion of the annual feed for his herd.

The Green River Drift is still in place today, though not quite as long. Today’s ranchers tenaciously protect the integrity of the feed and ease of passage along the Drift, as they are a critical part of their annual forage.

Biologists have recently discovered that a large number of mule deer follow a similar seasonal pattern. They migrate more than 150 miles between their summer range in the Hoback Basin and wintering areas in the Red Desert near Rock Springs. Here, too, the ability to move freely and have access to rest and good feed along the way is critical to the health of the population.

The mule deer, however, face more obstacles than do the cattle. Fences and other development activities restrict or otherwise interfere with their freedom of movement and sense of security. In the upper Green deer herds have already declined 40 percent in the last 20 or so years since the recent increase in energy development.

Mule deer habitat in the migration corridor and on winter range needs to be protected as tenaciously as habitat for cattle on the Green River Drift.

Become a supporting member today and NewsMatch will double your donation

The location of this migration route has been accurately defined. Proposed new energy development in the southern part of the Hoback-to-Red-Desert migration corridor is threatening to further disrupt deer activity, increasing stress in both the corridor and on critical winter range. The Bureau of Land Management is issuing leases for energy development during the next year or so, and some of the proposed lease area is within these critical habitats. Sage grouse core habitat also is at risk. At present, rules and policies in place are not adequate to prevent harmful activities on these leased lands.

Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has directed the federal government to work with state governments to protect big game (Secretarial Order 3362, “Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors”). The BLM needs to defer any leasing within mule deer migration corridors and critical winter range until, working with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and other interested collaborators, adequate management policies and legally binding protective lease stipulations (lease notices don’t do it) are in place to protect these critical habitats.

We know the science, and Wyoming has the political directive; let’s get ‘er done!


Popular Articles:


Lawsuits against climate action don’t represent this Wyo citizen


Rancher defends $339K award for stock he claims grizzlies killed


Lawmakers failed, again, to address Wyo’s most pressing needs


Filed Under: Guest Column, Guest Columns, Opinion, wildlife

About Dave Hohl

Dave Hohl is a private citizen in Pinedale Wyoming

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Craig Thompson says

    December 18, 2018 at 10:41 am

    Once again, Citizen Hohl speaks the truth. The Sweetwater County Commission is on board with the migration initiative and have called for wildlife passages over/under WY highway 28 between Farson and Lander. More has to be done. Please forward Dave’s thoughtful comments. Let’s lead our politicians to do the right thing for migrating wildlife.

    • City: Rock Springs
    • State of Residence: Wyoming
    Reply
  2. Michael J Melnar says

    December 18, 2018 at 5:17 am

    Save our wildlife enough is enough do we need to be so greedy and corrupt

    • City: Cody
    • State of Residence: Wyoming
    Reply
  3. Barbara T Hakes says

    December 14, 2018 at 12:17 pm

    I’ve been told that the reason Elk are being fed at the refuge in Jackson is because when development blocked their normal migration route to the Red Desert. they started the feeding program. Before development in that area did those Elk in the past migrate through the Hoback to the Red Desert as well? If the reduce/eliminate the feeding program to reduce the spread of CWD will those Elk potentially be able to find a good migration path back to the Red Desert? I can’t think where such a rout e might exist. Thanks!

    • City: Laramie
    • State of Residence: Wyoming
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Want to join the discussion? Fantastic, here are the ground rules:
- Identify yourself with full name and city. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish and expects commenters to do the same.
- No personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats. Keep it clean, civil and on topic.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Tweets by @WyoFile

Search WyoFile

Become an Underwriter
Sign Up for Free Weekly Newsletters

Recent Comments

  • leslie patten on Proposed project would trap, move, track lamb-hunting eagles
  • Harvey Reading on Cheney rails against plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan
  • John Rinehart on Proposed project would trap, move, track lamb-hunting eagles
  • Mike Dunbar on Cheney rails against plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan
  • Chuck Davis on Ambulance services are on life support across Wyoming

Footer

Recent Posts By Date

April 2021
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Mar    

From The Archives

  • About Us
  • Careers
  • How to Republish
  • Freelancing
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 by WyoFile