TRAPPERS POINT — Overlooking the Trappers Point Overpass on June 26, Gov. Mark Gordon approved the first-ever antelope migration corridor, one that stretches over 2 million acres through five counties.
“Sitting here, looking at that wonderful overpass and thousands of antelope come through here,” Gordon told The Roundup Friday. “We must protect them.”
While “around 30” members of the public were expected to show up for the designation of the Sublette Antelope Migration Corridor, Deputy Policy Director Sara DiRienzo said over 50 conservationists, stock growers and members of the public were present.
“We applaud the governor in taking this step and recognizing the corridor so that future generations of pronghorn will keep moving through here,” said Julia Struble of The Wilderness Society. “Our kids and grandkids will be able to be proud that they still have migrating pronghorn.”
Gordon's approval marks the completion of a six-year process to protect the migration corridor that started in 2020 with Gordon's first executive order of the year.
In September, Wyoming Game and Fish approved 10 segments of the antelope migration corridor, but the governor dropped two of them before passing the project on to an 11-person working group headed by Sweetwater County Commissioner Robb Slaughter.
“Today’s designation demonstrates that voluntary local conservation works,” Slaughter said.
Of the 11members of the group, eight supported it without reservation, including Sublette County Commission Chairman Lynn Bernard. Two members of the group had minor reservations about the migration corridor, and one, Jasmine Allison, had major reservations.
“I think that it's a very workable outcome. It respects private property rights, and it strengthens the state’s position,” said Vice President of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association Jim Magagna. “If the federal agencies ... try to do something harmful to us, the state’s in a good position to step in and point to [the migration route].”
The approval establishes restrictions on development for public lands within the corridor, particularly the 12 bottlenecks, such as Trappers Point, prohibiting new surface development and banning any activity requiring a state permit during spring and fall when the Sublette antelope herd migrates.
In areas that are heavily frequented by antelope but are not bottlenecks, development must include consultation with Game and Fish before approval.
In areas that receive moderate to low pronghorn traffic, protective actions are voluntary.
Private land is exempt from these protections.
Gordon told the Roundup the migration route “really shouldn’t affect [Sublette’s oil and gas industry] very much,” due to horizontal drilling.
“It’s a great achievement because it was built with stakeholders who came together and demonstrated what we know in Wyoming, which is that people who live here love wildlife,” Gordon said.
Reprinted with permission from the Pinedale Roundup.
