South Park Wildlife Habitat Management Area Dedicated with Partners and Local Officials.

In late July, The WYldlife Fund and WYldlife for Tomorrow gathered with partners, elected officials, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department personnel to dedicate the South Park Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WHMA) Wetland Restoration and Enhancement Project south of Jackson, Wyoming.

This project was one of the first to receive funding from WYldlife for Tomorrow, and we are thrilled to see it completed. The goal of this project was to improve wetland connectivity. The WHMA had been cut off from its natural connection to seasonal floods, which trigger important ecosystem restoration processes. To maintain a healthy wetlands ecosystem, this project enhanced the WHMA by converting fields into shallow-water wetlands and reconnecting old channel scars in the cottonwood galleries to the Snake River. These efforts raised the water table and provided more habitat for migrating waterbirds. The project also installed new infrastructure in the wetland ponds, which filter water from the Jackson Wastewater Treatment Plant before the water reaches Flat Creek. Now, discharges from this plant provide cleaner water into the enhanced wetland and help sustain the trout fisheries in Flat Creek and the Snake River. Collectively, this work restores habitat for a wide variety of species, including birds, large ungulates and small mammals, while simultaneously providing an educational and recreation area close to town for all to enjoy!

WYldlife for Tomorrow is proud to have donated $25,000 to this project, which had a total budget of $1 million, and we are even prouder to see it completed. We were honored to join in the project dedication last month, alongside the numerous project partners: Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Environmental Protection Agency, Friends of Jackson Hole, North American Wetland Conservation Act, Teton County Conservation District, The Nature Conservancy, Water For Wildlife Foundation, Town of Jackson, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Water Development Commission, and Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust.

Please visit the WHMA to enjoy its wonderful trail system, countless bird species, and stunning views! You’ll find a plaque dedicating the project. Interested in learning more about The WYldlife Fund and WYldlife for Tomorrow? We hope you’ll consider becoming a donor and contributing to future projects like this one! Head to our website (link) to learn more.

Kelly Hayfield Sagebrush Restoration

Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) protects large expanses of high elevation, mesic sagebrush-steppe grasslands that support many species of mammals and birds. These resources also connect similar habitats in a large portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Jackson Elk Collaring Project

Elk are a primary prey species for grizzly bears and wolves, two animals that are highly sought after for wildlife-viewing and ecotourism in the Jackson area. Elk also provide hunters with a sustainable food source and outdoor experience, as well as support local hunting outfitters, hotels, and other businesses during the fall.

Torrey Rim Prescribed Fire

The Whiskey Mountain herd was once the largest wintering herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the US, but in the early ‘90s, a catastrophic pneumonia-related die-off occurred and reduced the population from approximately 2,000 individuals to ~630 individuals in 2005.

South Flat Creek Channel Restoration

Flat Creek is an important Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout spawning tributary that has been adversely affected by urbanization, rural land development, and water management.

U.S. Highway 26 Wildlife Crossings

U.S.-26 from mileposts 48-73 has been identified as a priority in the state to address Wildlife Vehicle Collisions.

New Fork River Restoration

The New Fork River is one of the most popular river fisheries in western Wyoming, emerging from the Wind River Mountains and flowing generally south for approximately 70 miles before reaaching its confluence with the Green River.

Lower Snake River Ranch Stabilization

At the downstream end of the Snake River levee system, the Snake River is especially dynamic due to heightened erosive forces from the levee’s straightening and channelization and lack of access to its floodplain.

Sagebrush Habitat Restoration

Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) protects large expanses of high elevation, mesic sagebrush-steppe grasslands that support many species of mammals and birds.

Moose Fund: Cody Regional Office Beaver Holding Facility

Beavers can drastically alter river ecosystems by impounding water through dam construction, which can greatly benefit habitat.