Wyldlife for Tomorrow Archives

The WYld Showdown Has Launched

The WYldlife Fund, Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild, and University of Wyoming’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Team Up For WYld Showdown

Beer Coaster Game Aims to Raise Money for Wildlife Conservation

With the launch of the WYLD Showdown, consumers in breweries across Wyoming can participate in a bracket-style competition via a QR code found on beer coasters to raise awareness and funds that support wildlife conservation. Consumers will vote on their favorite wild animal by making small donations to participate. The WYLD Showdown is a partnership among The WYldlife Fund’s signature initiative WYldlife for Tomorrow, the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild, and the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming. Through this initiative, The WYldlife Fund aims to create new ways to help all people take an active part in conservation funding.

“As a home for all people, The WYldlife Fund is proud to partner with The Craft Brewers Guild and the Haub School to showcase the commitment that Wyoming breweries have to the state’s wildlife resources” says Nate Brown, Operations Manager of The WYldlife Fund. “Great beer, made by great people, in great places across our state!”

Through the support of the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild, these coasters will be available at breweries across Wyoming, giving those who enjoy the great beer that Wyoming breweries produce the opportunity to support wildlife conservation while enjoying their favorite beverages and supporting local businesses.

“Engaging in this program is a great chance for Wyoming breweries to showcase their commitment to their communities and wildlife conservation,” said Michelle Forster, Executive Director of the Wyoming Craft Brewers Guild. “We’re excited to see Wyomingites show their love for craft beer and wildlife all at once.”

By choosing their champion through these donations, consumers across the state can make a collective impact on wildlife conservation by helping fund on-the-ground projects. The idea for the WYLD Showdown came from Haub School graduate student Tyler Shreve’s thesis project that examines strategies to promote charitable giving in support of Wyoming conservation projects. College of Business economists, Todd Cherry and Alex James, were also instrumental in the project design.

Inna Willis, a former graphic design student at the University of Wyoming, designed the coasters for the WYld Showdown. As stated by Inna Willis, who is now working alongside Haub School graphic design and economics faculty Kayla Clark and Jacob Hochard in support of the initiative, “Anyone can support wildlife conservation, one beer at a time!”.

The WYLD Showdown coasters are now out at breweries across the state. The competition will last for several months. The WYldlife Fund’s signature initiative, WYldlife For Tomorrow is moving the needle for Wyoming’s wildlife conservation. Wyoming’s wildlife has suffered greatly due to several factors including habitat encroachment, invasive species, wildlife vehicle collisions, and most recently, the worst winter in modern history.

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.

Brewing Conservation Success: WYldlife For Tomorrow’s New Partnerships

WYldlife For Tomorrow (WFT) has been making exciting strides lately, with a key partnership playing a vital role in spreading our message, broadening the conservation funding model, and providing a model of success that is expected to expand across the state.

Last summer, WFT collaborated with The WYldlife Fund and the University of Wyoming’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources to set up a Student Ambassador Program. This innovative program was born from a productive meeting involving Taylor Phillips, WFT’s founder; Chris McBarnes, The WYldlife Fund’s president; and Dr. Jacob Hochard, the Knobloch Professor of Conservation Economics at the Haub School. Dr. Hochard highlighted the significant importance of WFT’s mission, stating that unlike the conventional top-down approach to wildlife conservation in the United States, WFT adopts a grassroots approach requiring substantial groundwork, logistical coordination, and relationship building.

In this ambassador program, students embarked on this groundwork under the mentorship of Taylor Phillips (Founder-WFT), Nate Brown (Operations Manager-The WYldlife Fund), and Chris McBarnes (President-The WYldlife Fund). Four Wyoming-based students devoted their summer to working within their local communities, establishing key relationships between WFT and businesses in tourism, outdoor recreation, and hospitality.

A significant achievement of this program is WFT’s new alliance with Altitude Chophouse & Brewery, Laramie, WY. Student ambassador Emma Vandenburg, while working at Altitude, cultivated a working relationship with brewer Sean Minichiello and owner Karen Robillard. Consequently, Altitude Chophouse & Brewery launched a new beer in honor of WYldlife for Tomorrow–the WYld Amber Ale. University student Inna Willis, under the guidance of Haub School faculty Kayla Clark, designed the beer label featuring an illustration of a bull bison. For each pint of beer sold, a dollar is donated to the WFT initiative. Currently exclusive to the Altitude Chophouse and Brewery in Laramie, this concept has inspired more co-branded beers and products that will soon be widely available throughout the state.

Tyler Shreve, a graduate student in Dr. Hochard’s research lab, is studying this hopeful expansion. His thesis focuses on various conservation funding methods and engagement with wide-reaching brands. Shreve’s goal is to collaborate with such brands to co-brand products, disseminate the concept across the state, and identify efficient fundraising strategies. Shreve’s focus is on coffee roasters, aiming to enlist roasters across the state to create coffee blends associated with the state. The first to join is Cowboy Coffee from Jackson Hole, who is developing a signature WYld blend, with a portion of the proceeds going to WYldlife for Tomorrow. Tyler will also work closely with the Wyoming Craft Brewer’s Guild on future projects involving craft breweries across Wyoming. These partnerships are invaluable in raising awareness and funds for conservation projects while spotlighting businesses that appreciate wildlife’s impact on their profits.

The collaboration between The Haub School and The WYldlife Fund through the WYldlife For Tomorrow initiative is set to flourish and broaden. We anticipate this model spreading to other craft breweries, coffee roasters, distillers, and more across the state. The potential for growth with this co-branding model is remarkable, and we look forward to the progress made through Shreve’s research and the Haub School partnership.

No matter one’s background in the outdoor industry, we believe that a common love for a good beer or hot cup of coffee unites many. We’re delighted with these new partnerships. As Vandenburg eloquently put it in the Cowboy State Daily.

WYldlife Fund Rebrands Signature Program

WYldlife For Tomorrow inspires businesses that benefit from tourism and recreation to invest in conservation of Wyoming’s wildlife.

The WYldlife Fund announces changes to better reflect the mission and values of its signature program, WYldlife For Tomorrow (WFT). Since WFT’s (formerly Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow) inception in 2021, we have been absolutely thrilled by the support received from businesses that rely on wildlife tourism in Wyoming. We began this program focusing on the tourism industry, as wildlife is the primary driver of Wyoming tourism. By partnering with us, businesses in the industry have an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of our wildlife populations, ensuring the continued existence and even growth of the tourism industry. The original program of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow has seen enormous growth in these first two years, establishing partnerships with over 85 businesses and individuals.

As we have grown, so, too, has our mission and target audience. There is a wide variety of outdoor recreation communities that rely on and impact wild lands and wildlife populations. We want to encourage outdoor recreationists of all kinds–hikers, climbers, bikers, skiers, anglers, hunters, and yes, wildlife-watchers, among so many more–to give back to the state’s wildlife, and we want the name of this signature initiative to better reflect this all-encompassing community. To communicate this more effectively, we have undergone a small rebranding. Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow is now known as WYldlife for Tomorrow–a name that reflects both the connection with The WYldlife Fund and the inclusion of all user groups.

We want the tourism and recreation industries to be partners investing in wildlife conservation, and we believe our new name and logo reflects this expanded mission. Chris McBarnes, President of The WYldlife Fund, said “The WYldlife Fund is excited about the evolution of our newly rebranded signature program, WYldlife For Tomorrow. We are constantly listening to feedback from our generous supporters, which led us to tweak the brand and messaging of WYldlife For Tomorrow. We believe the new logo and name better represents the heart and soul of this program, which will ultimately help evolve the conservation funding model and drive more dollars on the ground to strengthen Wyoming’s wildlife.”

Taylor Phillips, a board member of The WYldlife Fund and one of the founders of the WFT initiative, said of the changes, “By including the recreation sector as another targeted industry, we have opened up the possibilities for sourcing wildlife conservation funding even more, and we are thrilled with how the new look and feel of the logo and brand message turned out.”

Brian Nesvik, Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, is excited about the expanded mission. “Hunters, anglers, and wildlife-viewing enthusiasts all have a common goal–to help conserve wildlife,” he said in a recent statement. “The WYldlife For Tomorrow program enhances the wildlife conservation funding model by bringing new wildlife users together to help fund additional on-the-ground projects. This is truly a win for all wildlife.”

If you want to learn more about this program and these exciting changes, head to our newly updated website here. We hope you’ll consider joining this movement!

WTFT launches UW student ambassador program

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow (WTFT), The WYldlife Fund, and the University of Wyoming (UW) are excited to announce the first annual Summer Ambassadors Program. This program came to life through a successful meeting between Taylor Phillips, founder of WTFT; Chris McBarnes, president of The WYldlife Fund; and Dr. Jacob Hochard, professor of Conservation Economics at UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. During the meeting, Dr. Hochard recognized the momentous importance of WTFT’s mission, stating that wildlife conservation in the United States is “usually viewed from a top-down perspective through the collection of hunting tags and licenses, taxing hunters, etc. Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, on the other hand, is a bottom-up approach, requiring tremendous groundwork, logistic work, coordination work, and relationship-building.”

Clockwise, beginning from top left: Chris McBarnes, president of The WYldlife Fund; Dr. Jacob Hochard, professor of Conservation Economics at UW’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources; Taylor Phillips, founder of WTFT.

The goal of this new ambassador program is to have university students take on the this groundwork. Four students, spread across the state of Wyoming, will work remotely from their home communities to build relationships between WTFT and local small businesses in the outdoor recreation, tourism, and hospitality industries. Together, these small business and WTFT partnerships will fund projects across the state that seek to conserve Wyoming’s wildlife. Summer ambassadors will also be enrolled as research assistants with Dr. Hochard and meet weekly to discuss progressive approaches to bottom-up conservation finance in Wyoming.

When asked about her interest in this program, one prospective ambassador, Emma Vandenburg, said, “This position excites me because it’s cool to be at the ground level and see if this method of conservation funding grows to other states.” There is tremendous potential for WTFT’s mission to spread to other states, especially with WTFT already laying the foundation. The future of wildlife conservation is bright!

The ten-week program will begin in early June, and ambassadors are expected to commit to 10 hours of work a week. They have the freedom and independence to make their own schedules, and they will be offered a stipend of $2,500. The hands-on research assistance experience ambassadors will gain will give them the tools needed to explore careers in conservation economics, tourism, and hospitality, and there is potential for future growth with WTFT and The WYldlife Fund.

The creation of this new program is further pushing WTFT into the spotlight. Founded only one year ago, in March 2021, WTFT has already donated over $100,000 to wildlife conservation projects, and has the full support of Wyoming’s Governor Gordon. We are seeing tremendous growth, and we are thrilled about the opportunity to get the next generation of conservationists involved through this ambassador program.

From Concept to Capitol in a Year!

8.1 MILLION people can’t be wrong! Yes, that’s right…MILLION, and what are they not wrong about? How wonderful it is to visit Wyoming. To put it into perspective, sixteen times our actual population traveled to make a memory here last year. Wildlife viewing was at the top of their list of activities.

In 2022, it seems that we are united in the need to reconnect to nature by making pilgrimages to incredible vistas, seeing magnificent wildlife, and pursuing other recreational opportunities, and in that respect Wyoming has it all. This is why those more than eight million visitors wend their way from nearby states or from across the globe to spend 4 BILLION DOLLARS*, which helps to employ 30.4K workers* and generates $243 million in tax receipts.*

Wildlife viewing in Grand Teton National Park. Photo courtesy of Taylor Glenn.

While that is pretty impressive, there is a conundrum: wildlife-watching opportunities are at the very top of the list of what visitors want, and even though all those taxes make their way to and through towns and counties to our capitol in Cheyenne, none of it goes directly to wildlife or habitat. That is because the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), which is responsible for wildlife, is not funded through state general funds, meaning their revenue comes only from hunting licenses, federal excise taxes, and some grants.

But, remember those 8.1 million people, most of whom come to look for wildlife?

Well, Taylor Phillips, whose primary business is providing wildlife-viewing guided excursions in Wyoming through his business EcoTour Adventures, came up with a way for the revenue generated by Wyoming visitors to give back. That is how Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow was born.

Just as springtime brings new life to the environment, it has become the season of milestones in the progress of Taylor’s initiative. March of 2020 saw the department’s supporting organization, The Wyldlife Fund, led by Chris McBarnes, launched into the stormy seas of COVID. The following spring of 2021, Chris McBarnes, Chris Colligan of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and Taylor ventured out on the ice of Jackson Lake for a social, if somewhat soggy fishing trip, for beers and ideas and strategizing to develop Taylor’s dream to capture conservation funding from the existing tourism economy.

This spring more than 60 businesses—businesses that not only depend on wildlife-seeking visitors, but also benefit economically from their presence— have already enrolled to give back. Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, as a flagship initiative of The Wyldlife Fund, has given over $100,000 to date, to important projects such as wildlife crossings, wildlife-friendly fencing, elk collaring research, and improving aquatic and terrestrial habitat.

These encouraging results, together with the dedication, enthusiasm, and tenacity of Taylor, as well as the hard work and support of Wyldlife Fund President Chris McBarnes, led WGFD Director Brian Nesvik to arrange a meeting with Governor Gordon and his Policy Director, Renny McKay at the Capitol in Cheyenne on March 21st. Taylor, Chris, and Board Secretary Penny Maldonado were honored to share the progress being made by The Wyldlife Fund and Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow. Wyoming has always been a leader and as Renny explained, while hunting remains incredibly popular in Wyoming, even as some other states are experiencing declining participation, the prospect of opening up an alternative funding stream from tourism revenue in addition to traditional sources would enhance conservation through on the ground projects.

Left to right: Brian Nesvik, Director of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department; Governor Gordon; Taylor Phillips, Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow founder; Chris McBarnes, President of The WYldlife Fund; & Penny Maldonado, member of the Board of Directors for The WYldlife Fund.

The meeting was a fantastic opportunity to embrace the mutual love of wildlife, wildlands, and, of course, Wyoming, and the desire to find ways for more people to be able to contribute to critical conservation needs. The group left with confidence going forward because of Director Nesvik’s resounding endorsement of Taylor and Chris’s efforts, and with the warm and attentive reception by Governor Gordon and Renny. The Wyldlife Fund and Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow are grateful for the time spent at the Capitol and look forward to more exciting milestones as the opportunity to invest in conservation funding expands.

*2021 year in review WOT

Written by Penny Maldonado, Board Member of The WYldlife Fund

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow announces two additional grants

Last week, Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow (WTFT) enthusiastically presented two separate checks to advance wildlife conservation projects in the state of Wyoming. WTFT founder Taylor Phillips, and The WYldlife Fund President Chris McBarnes, traveled to Cody, WY to attend the Wyoming Game & Fish Commission meeting, where they presented the checks.

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow is currently engaging the tourism industry across the state to contribute to wildlife conservation projects, further developing this important constituency.

The first check, for $15,000, was given to the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation (JHWF) to fund their sage-grouse fence inventory project. This project aims to prevent future losses of the declining Greater Sage-Grouse population by inventorying and removing unused or problem fences within the species’ migratory habitat. Livestock fence wires can be a significant cause of sage-grouse mortality due to birds hitting the wires while in flight, and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, along with collaborators from Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest, plans to reduce these mortalities through project efforts.

From left to right: Chris McBarnes, President of The WYldlife Fund; Taylor Phillips, Founder of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow; Renee Seidler, Executive Director of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation; Kate Gersh, Associate Director of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation; Brian Nesvik, Director of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department; Gay Lynn Byrd, Commissioner of the Wyoming Game & Fish Deparment; Doug Brimeyer, Deputy Division Chief of Wildlife of the Wyoming Game & Fish Deparment; Kenneth Roberts, Commissioner of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department.

“The Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation is thrilled to receive support from WTFT,” said Kate Gersh, Associate Director of JHWF. “We think it’s fantastic that WTFT represents partnership with the private business sector, which is providing generous philanthropy for the benefit of wildlife conservation in Wyoming. Recent funding from WTFT will be spent on completing a fence inventory and mapping layer in sage-grouse habitat found within Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The result of this effort will parlay into fence removal or modifications involving JHWF volunteers, to improve sage-grouse habitat in Jackson Hole. Thank you WTFT and all your funders, we are grateful!”

The second check, for $20,000, was presented to the Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD) for their elk collaring project. This project aims to better understand the migration patterns of the Jackson elk herd, one of the largest elk herds in North America. The population numbers approximately 11,000 animals, and the herd migrates over an expansive area, making management and conservation challenging. By radio-collaring individuals in the herd, the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, along with numerous other collaborators, will better understand the migration patterns of the Jackson elk herd, and then use this information to develop management practices.

From left to right: Chris McBarnes; Doug Brimeyer; Rick King, Chief of Wildlife of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department; Taylor Phillips; Brian Nesvik; and Gay Lynn Byrd.

“It can be especially difficult to fund long-term projects such as monitoring the changing movements and distribution of the Jackson Elk Herd,” said Alyson Courtemanch, Wildlife Biologist with WGFD. “Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow is helping fill a critical need for funding to help us continue to make the best management and conservation decisions we can for elk, which is perhaps the most iconic wildlife species in Jackson Hole.”

WTFT is thrilled to present these checks to further wildlife conservation within the state. The amount of success and support we have seen in our first year has been staggering, and we are excited to keep this momentum going and continue to make a difference in the conservation of Wyoming’s incredible wildlife.

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow is a flagship initiative of The WYldlife Fund, a partner nonprofit to the Wyoming Game & Fish Department that administers funds to advance wildlife projects across the state.

Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow introduced to Wyoming State Legislators

Presenting our initiative to our state lawmakers were Brian Nesvik, Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Diane Shober, Executive Director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Chris McBarnes, President of The WYldlife Fund, and Taylor Phillips, Founder of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow. We had participation from both senators and representatives, as well as our non-profit friends, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

Left to Right: Taylor Phillips, Founder of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, Brian Nesvik, Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Diane Shober, Executive Director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Janet Marschner, Board Director of The WYldlife Fund, and Chris McBarnes, President of The WYldlife Fund.

The goal of our luncheon was to get our governing body on board with the work we are doing. It was a huge success, and we have interest within the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, & Cultural Resources Committee, who will be discussing our initiative at their next committee meeting.

We also had the pleasure of meeting with former Governor Dave Freudenthal at his home in Cheyenne, where we discussed our mission and the next steps to advance our movement. We are thrilled to share that our former Governor is on board with this work and will be assisting in providing strategic direction.

Taylor Phillips (left) and Chris McBarnes (right) with former Governor Dave Freudenthal at his home in Cheyenne, WY.

Finally, we attended this year’s Hospitality & Tourism Conference, where we had positive conversations with the Travel and Tourism Boards, Chamber of Commerce leaders, and government officials across the state. We also had a chance to present our mission at the Board of Directors Meeting for the Wyoming Office of Tourism. We are pleased to share that our initiative was well-received, and that the Office of Tourism is on board with our work.

Not only was our time in Cheyenne a huge success, but we have had success across the board in the past five months. In this time, over 50 businesses have invested in our work, and WTFT has generated over $100K in donations. We have a bright future ahead of us and we can’t wait to keep working towards changing the conservation funding model, business by business!

We are excited to keep our momentum strong, and we aim to expand our movement beyond Jackson. This month, we will represent WTFT at meetings in Park County, and we already have representation in Pinedale and Cody. Next, we aim to work with our regional NGOs as well as undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Wyoming (UW) to help advance this work. We also plan to team up with UW to implement a live-streaming project to assist in soliciting donations for WTFT. Lastly, we plan to hire and train a part-time position via The WYldlife Fund to further advance our movement.

All of this important work would not be possible without the support of The WYldlife Fund, under whom the Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow initiative was born. We are excited for what comes next, and we hope you will be a part of this exciting new movement. If you would like more information about our future and how you can participate, please reach out.

Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow announces $20,000 grant

RIVERTON, Wyoming — The first grant from a new initiative created to support wildlife projects in the state was presented on November 16, 2021 during the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting. Taylor Phillips handed a check for $20,000 to Alan Osterland, Chief of Fisheries for Wyoming Game and Fish, Cory Toye, the Wyoming Water and Habitat Program Director for Trout Unlimited, and Ken Roberts, Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner District 3.

The money will be granted to Trout Unlimited to support a large-scale collaborative project to prevent future losses of native migratory cutthroat trout and other native fish by installing a fish screen on the Spread Creek irrigation system near Jackson, Wyoming. The work will also stabilize the diversion structure and river channel in the project area which had been damaged by flooding.

“We are thrilled to present the first grant from Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow to this important fish passage project which will help native population of Snake River cutthroat trout,” said Taylor Phillips, founder of Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow, owner of Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures and a board member for The WYldlife Fund. “We are incredibly grateful for the businesses and individuals who have supported Wildlife Tourism for Tomorrow in these early days of the program. We see great opportunity to further engage the billion-dollar tourism industry and, in turn, get more done for Wyoming’s wildlife.”

Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow is an initiative underneath the umbrella of The WYldlife Fund, a partner nonprofit to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department focused on directing money to advance wildlife projects across the state.

“Bettering connectivity and quality aquatic habitat for Snake River cutthroat trout is important for Wyoming’s healthy native fish populations,” said Wyoming Game and Fish Department director Brian Nesvik. “In supporting businesses who are part of Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow, you are contributing to the conservation of wildlife, and making a difference.”

Trout Unlimited uses funds from many sources to complete projects. The $20,000 contribution raised by Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow helps make possible the current work on Phase 2 of the Spread Creek Fish Passage Project. Partners on the project include Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and Trout Unlimited. Altogether, there are more than 20 partners involved in the multi-year project.

“We are honored that the Spread Creek Fish Passage Project will be the first project to be funded by Wildlife Tourism For Tomorrow. Wildlife tourism and the fishing industry are vital components of the local tourism economy in the Jackson area, and while this project primarily benefits Snake River cutthroat trout and other native fish, healthy watersheds and riparian areas also benefit wildlife species,” said Leslie Steen, Northwest Wyoming Program Manager for Trout Unlimited. “Many times, when I have gone out to visit the Spread Creek project site, I’ve seen wildlife tour trips in the area, and it is really neat to think that those same businesses are now giving back to native fish. We are grateful to all the businesses and individuals that generously made contributions to support this collaborative, multi-agency project, and to Taylor Phillips and The WYldlife Fund for their leadership in this effort.”

Courtesy of JHWF

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