Cody Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
Partnership Improves Fence to Benefit Wildlife
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cody Field Office recently partnered with Friends of a Legacy (FOAL) and Meadowlark Audubon Society on a fence modification project to benefit sage-grouse, pronghorn and wild horses in the Bridger Butte area inside the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area east of Cody, Wyo.
During the Saturday workday, volunteers removed approximately six miles of wire on a 6-wire and sometimes 8-wire fence, leaving a 3-wire fence, and tightened-up loose wires to make two miles of fence friendlier to local wildlife.
BLM Wildlife Biologist Destin Harrell, who organized the workday, explained to the group that fences should be no higher than 42” to protect sage-grouse in flight, and no lower than 16” off the ground to allow pronghorn to pass easily under them.
FOAL President Marshall Dominick thought that the McCullough Peaks wild horses would also benefit from the improved fence. “Horses try to cross fences where wires are down and foals can get tangled-up,” Dominick said. “Three tight wires will discourage horses from trying to cross, and securing loose ends and staples further reduces hazards to the horses.”
Fence modification projects will be ongoing as the Cody Field Office attempts to improve BLM fences throughout the field office area to meet wildlife specifications.
“There are miles and miles of five and six-wire fences in the area,” Harrell said. “Sage-grouse collide with fences and pronghorn need space to crawl under fences. This fence is within one of the longest pronghorn migration routes in Wyoming and within a hundred yards of a sage-grouse lek. Volunteer groups like FOAL and Meadowlark Audubon Society are helping us realize our goal of making BLM fences more wildlife-friendly.”
Meadowlark Audubon Society members enjoyed a little bird watching as they worked to protect sage-grouse and other wildlife. The songs of Sage Thrashers, Horned Larks and Vesper Sparrows were the perfect accompaniment to the day.
In addition to the volunteers improving the fence that day, Bow Hunters of Wyoming donated funds to help make the project a success.
For more information, please contact Harrell at 307-578-5900.
Note to media: click on thumbnails for high-resolution images suitable for print.
 John Ross, John Osgood and Rose Hughes from Audubon cut wires to make the fence wildlife-friendly. |  Neil Miller from Audubon and Randy Leisey, executive director of FOAL, make improvements to the fence that will benefit wildlife. |  Susan Richards and Rex Myers from Audubon spool wire removed from the fence. |  Volunteers from Meadowlark Audubon Society and FOAL spool the cut wire which was taken to be recycled. |
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Cody Field Office 1002 Blackburn Street Cody, WY 82414