Wyoming's Wildlife and Roadways Summit

The goal of the summit is to strengthen relationships, broaden participation, and enhance communication between WGFD, WYDOT and Non Governmental Organization partners to work together to develop mechanisms to fund and implement priority projects to address the effects of roads on wildlife and to minimize wildlife/vehicle collisions.

This event is FREE to all participants and lunch both days and dinner on 4/26 are inlcuded.

This event is sponsored by the George B. Storer Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife Foundation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Muley Fanatic Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Wyoming - Wild Sheep Foundation, and Wyoming Game Wardens Association.

All participants are requested to register and confirm attendence and meal counts.

During the summit, participants will break out into groups based on WYDOT districts. Please see the map below. During registration, please choose the WYDOT district you currently located in, or are interested in representing during the break out groups.

Wednesday, April 26

8:00 Registration and Check in

9:00 Welcome (Kenneth Keel, WYDOT, Daryl Lutz WGFD) and Introduction of Kimberly Chapman

9:15 Opening Remarks (Director Talbott, WGFD, and Director Panos, WYDOT)

9:45 Objective of the Summit and how we’re going to get there - Kimberly Chapman

10:00 Presentation: Roads and their impacts on ungulates in Wyoming - Corinna Riginos, Northern Rockies Conservation Coorperative.

10:30 Break

11:00 Presentation: WYDOT – Explain how WYDOT works institutionally, what their goals are, how NGOs and WGFD can work most effectively with WYDOT and what options are available to work together - Keith Compton, WYDOT.

11:30 Presentation: WGFD – Explain how WGFD works institutionally. What are their goals and how are they addressing these issues: Mitigation policy, Mule Deer Initiative - Doug Brimeyer, WGFD.

12:00 Lunch Provided – Keynote Talk - Effective and Successful Partnerships and Collaborations - Rob Ament, Western Transportation Institute.

1:15 Presentation: Non-Governmental Partners (NGO) - Background, mission, what role they see themselves playing. What are NGO's and how do they work - Holly Copeland, The Nature Conservancy.

2:00 Break-out groups - What are the challenges and how do we overcome them (mechanisms and processes) to work together to fund and implement projects?

3:30 Break

4:00 Group Reports and Discussion

5:00 Adjourn

6:30 Social/Dinner - Keynote speaker Joe Riis, Wildlife photojournalist and cinematographer. Dinner and Libations Provided

Thursday, April 27

8:00 Summarize the results of yesterday’s break-out group priorities - Kimberly Chapman.

8:30 Presentation: Roads and their impacts on ungulates in Wyoming – possible solutions - Corinna Riginos, Northern Rockies Conservation Coorperative.

9:00 Basic ecology of ungulate movement and migration patterns in Wyoming - Hall Sawyer, Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc.

9:30 Science of overpasses/underpasses – what has been done in WY and what we have learned from them - Hall Sawyer, Western Ecosystems Technology, Inc.

10:00 Break

10:30 Hotspot break-out groups

12:00 Lunch Provided

1:15 Group Reports and Discussion

2:00 Where do we go from here?

2:30 Adjourn

3:00 Optional Field Trip to Daniel Junction/Cora Y - Dean Clause, WGFD Pinedale Wildlife Biologist. Please indicate your interest during registration.

Thank you again to all our sponsors: George B. Storer Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife Foundation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Transportation, Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Muley Fanatic Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wyoming Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Wyoming - Wild Sheep Foundation, and Wyoming Game Wardens Association.

Lodging Information:

Baymont Inn 307-367-8300

Group Name - Mule Summit

Rate: $70/nt + tax

Reservation deadline 4/11/17

Hampton Inn and Suites 307-367-6700 ext 405

Group Name - Mule Deer Summit

Rate: $98/nt + tax

Reservation deadline 3/27/17