Cody Field Office
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307/347-5207 |
BLM Cody Field Office Wins National Wild Turkey Federation Award
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cody Field Office (CYFO) has been awarded the 2011 Making Tracks Award for Conservation Education by the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). The CYFO will accept the award during the NWTF Convention, February 8-11, in Nashville, Tenn.
The Making Tracks Award recognizes groups or individuals for their land management efforts on behalf of wild turkeys and other wildlife. The CYFO received the award for its partnership effort working with the Yellowtail Area Coordinated Resource Management (CRM) Group in the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WHMA) near Lovell, Wyo., one of the most popular recreation areas in the state for big game and waterfowl hunting, fishing and bird watching.
“The coordinated habitat improvement efforts in the Yellowtail WHMA are a great example of how to pull together a diverse group of partners for a common cause, in this case removing invasive species, for the betterment of wildlife habitat and local economies,” said NWTF Western Region Conservation Field Supervisor Jared McJunkin. “The BLM staff from the Cody Field Office was instrumental in the process and should be commended. They are well deserving of the recognition for their efforts to partner with others to learn more and educate others about habitat management and conservation.”
Over the past several years, the partnership between the CYFO and the CRM has resulted in a reduction of invasive plant species and weed infestations and improvements to wildlife habitat on thousands of acres of BLM, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and National Park Service (NPS) managed lands and adjacent private property. Another measurement of the project’s success is the annual increase in turkey populations for the past six years.
By mechanically and chemically removing aggressive Russian olive and tamarisk (salt cedar) from riparian areas and replacing them with native shrubs, wildlife like deer, turkey, pheasant, waterfowl and many small mammal and bird species benefit as the native vegetation begins to flourish. Innovative approaches to invasive species control are also utilized by the BLM and its partners and have included the use of goats and insects as biological controls, managed grazing as a treatment tool and many public outreach efforts and volunteer work projects.
“A large number of people have helped create this habitat improvement success story,” said BLM Cody Field Manager Mike Stewart. “This long-term collaborative effort with our partners has resulted in improved land health on a landscape level for wildlife and all who use and enjoy these public lands.”
 BLM Wildlife Biologist Destin Harrell explains that silver buffalo berry is the best shrub to plant to replace the Russian olive that has been removed from the Yellowtail WHMA. |  Aaron, Swede and Lily Kania plant native shrubs in the Yellowtail WHMA during a volunteer work day. |  Mike Williams of Marathon Oil and his wife, Paige, and daughter, Miranda, partnered with the BLM during a volunteer work day at the Yellowtail WHMA. |  BLM Range Management Specialist Bryan McKenzie re-cuts a mulched Russian olive stump closer to the ground before applying herbicide in the Yellowtail WHMA. |
Partners that have been critical to the successful habitat restoration work, research, monitoring and project funding in the Yellowtail WHMA include WGFD, NPS, Bighorn County Weed and Pest District, Bureau of Reclamation, Cody Ducks Club, Marathon Oil Corporation, Meadowlark Audubon Society, NWTF, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Pheasants Forever, Shoshone Conservation District, U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Services, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Governors Big Game License Coalition, Wyoming Private Land Grazing Team, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Board, local sportsmen and area private landowners. In addition, students from Lovell High School and Northwest College have participated in monitoring and restoration studies and environmental education classes in the Yellowtail WHMA.
For more information, please contact the CYFO at 307-578-5900. For more information about the NWTF, visit www.nwtf.org.
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