For information and agenda, please reach out to Laurie at gro.agoyw@agoyw or visit the WYOGA website at wyoga.org.
Saturday, April 4th Special Guest:
Congresswoman Liz Cheney will be presenting from 12:00pm–12:30pm
Followed by a luncheon sponsored by:
Bighorn Medical Center
Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Specialists
Dr. Jared Lee & Dr. Jeff Poffenbarger
Big Game Awards Banquet:
Keynote Speaker is First Lady, Jennie Gordon
The Wyoming Legislature is about to wrap up their 2020 session. This session was focused on crafting the biennium budget for the state of Wyoming. None budget bills can be considered but they must pass a 2/3 introductory vote to be heard. Under the system of readings and hearings in the Wyoming Legislature you have 8 and in the case of the budget session 9 chances to kill a bill as it weaves it way through the process.
I want to thank everyone who engaged on one of the most critical issues that could cripple our industry. Senator Hicks offered a 90/10 in collaboration with the terrorists at Mountain Pursuit. We crushed the bill on the introductory vote with Hicks being the lone vote for and 29 votes against. I was even able to convince his cosponsor on the bill, Senator Dalton to vote against it. We will remain vigilant in the coming sessions for this misguided bill to rear its ugly head.
Unfortunately, we were not able to kill a lodging tax bill as we have done in the past. Senate Leadership and the Governor twisted arms to get the bill across the finish line. We successfully beat back an attempt in the House to remove the back county exemption.
Beyond that there were a few bills dealing with conforming statues for bison licenses to match other big game and a few other. We did support a resolution that would ask the Game and Fish and the Department of Education to work together to allow hunter education to be a physical education credit. I look forward for the final gavel coming down on the session and updating the membership in Casper.
Thank you! Bill Novotny, Lobbyist
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon signed his Migration Corridor Executive Order at a public ceremony in the Capitol, the culmination of an approach that supports conservation, protects landowner rights and accommodates multiple-use opportunities.
“This Executive Order speaks to what Wyoming is,” Governor Gordon said. “We can come together on difficult issues, we can solve problems together, and we can lead the way. Every piece of this has truly been a Wyoming solution.”
The broad process that led to the Executive Order began with the establishment of the Migration Corridor Advisory Group last May. The group met three times in 2019 and included representatives from the oil and gas, mining, and agriculture sectors, as well as conservation, recreation and sportsmen groups and a county commissioner.
The Order outlines a science-based approach for identifying potential migration corridors. The process includes an in-depth evaluation, a public comment process, and the creation of area working groups that would include landowners and elected officials prior to any corridor designation.
“I believe we have crafted an excellent approach,” the Governor said. “People in Wyoming love their wildlife and love their jobs, and we can do both. We are leading the nation in this effort.”
The full text of the Executive Order can be found on the Governor’s website here. The Governor expressed his appreciation for the advisory group that crafted sound recommendations and to all the people who participated and commented along the way.
WYOGA has retained attorney, Brandon Jensen with the Budd-Falen Law Offices to assist WYOGA, JHOGA and SCI with the lawsuit that was filed by Earthjustice. Earthjustice. WYOGA, JHOGA and SCI are signing on as interveners. SCI will be taking the lead in preparing press releases that will be sent all over the US to keep all apprised of the lawsuit.
The Wyoming Outdoors Hall of Fame was created in 2004 by Governor Dave Freudenthal. Since then 63 individuals have been inducted.
The primary purpose of the Hall of Fame is to honor those individuals, both living and posthumously, who have made significant, lasting, lifetime contributions to the conservation of Wyoming’s outdoor heritage.
Each year, recognition is given to people who have worked consistently over many years to conserve Wyoming’s natural resources through volunteer service, environmental restoration, educational activities, audio/visual and written media, the arts, and political and individual leadership.
2020 Hall of Fame Inductees are:
Helen Roylance
Duaine Hagen
Richard Guenzel
Duaine Hagen, Fiddle Back Ranch is a WYOGA member. Congratulations Duaine!
Lee Livingston is sponsoring the Youth Conservationist of the Year Scholarship award. The Youth Conservationist of the Year is Isabelle Burky.
WYOGA is sponsoring the Hall of Fame inductees awards.
Just a friendly reminder that big game entries for animal’s harvest in 2019 are due by April 1st. They can be either emailed or mailed but must be postmarked by April 1st in order to qualify. Score sheets are available on the SCI website at https://www.safariclub.org/official-measuring-forms.
Guide of the Year, Hunter of the Year and Employee of the Year applications are due May 1st.
Recently, Governor Gordon re-appointed Cole Benton and Lee Livingston to the Wyoming State Board of Outfitters & Professional Guides. Congratulations to both!
Budd Betts, Vice-President for WYOGA was recently appointed by Gov. Gordon to the Wyoming Tourism Board. The board oversees the “Wyoming Office of Tourism”. The experience Budd will bring to the Board will greatly enable both the Outfitting industry and Dude Ranching to be better understood and promoted, with the understanding that there are significant and vital components in the $3.8 Billion Tourism industry here in Wyoming.
Congratulations to Budd Betts!
Wednesday, April 18th, 2020
9:00am–5:00pm at the Holiday Inn, Cody
This meeting is in conjunction with the Wyoming Game & Fish Commission meeting.
