Fence removal in Wilderness Study Area in Wyoming benefits wildlife

Story and photos by Jared Oakleaf, Lander Field Office Outdoor Recreation Planner.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming Lander Field Office, in partnership with Wyoming Wilderness Association, Friends of Dubois Badlands, and National Bighorn Sheep Center, hosted a fence pull in June in the Dubois Badlands Wilderness Study Area (WSA). The fence was no longer needed by the grazing permittee and removing it improved wilderness characteristics and wildlife migrations in this critical area. Close to a mile of barbed wire fence was removed, enabling wildlife to more easily navigate the landscape.

"We had 15 volunteers and they all worked extremely hard," said BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Jared Oakleaf. "Their appreciation and sense of stewardship toward their public lands is contagious."

Participants ranged in age from two to 78.

The Town of Dubois is surrounded by the remarkably scenic and wild Dubois Badlands WSA. The WSA is home to the nation’s largest free-ranging winter elk herd (which summers in Yellowstone) and a large herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. As a big bonus, public land in the Dubois area also contains important habitat for Canada lynx, grey wolf and grizzly bear.