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Pilot Hill Releases Draft Plans For Public Comment

Pilot Hill Project and SE Group

The Pilot Hill Project recently released their draft plan outlining how the 5,500-acre parcel of land east of Laramie will be organized.

It shows how the land will be split into almost equal halves to support outdoor recreation and natural resource preservation, including Casper Aquifer protection.

The northern half will be designated a "recreation zone" and will contain nearly 35 miles of trails for non-motorized recreation. The southern half will be a "wildlife habitat management area" with one proposed three-mile trail.

"We know that there are all kinds of species up there that rely on that property and, in particular, a large elk herd and a lot of pronghorn, mule deer, moose, that utilize a lot of those great canyons for winter habitat and for protection during the calving season," Pilot Hill Project's Sarah Brown Matthews said.

The project is considering allowing hunting in the southern zone, which would be managed by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Over 200 people attended the community meetings where the plan was released and participated in the interactive feedback process. Though the group received a lot of feedback during the meetings, Matthews said they're still open to more.

"We want this to be Laramie's vision of what Laramie would like and Albany county would like in our backyard, not something that you know, is shaped by anyone else," Matthews said. "The way to have that happen is by having community engagement and input."

Those wishing to view the plan and comment can do so at Pilot Hill's website until Feb. 29.

Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Ivy Engel, at iengel@uwyo.edu.

Ivy started as a science news intern in the summer of 2019 and has been hooked on broadcast ever since. Her internship was supported by the Wyoming EPSCoR Summer Science Journalism Internship program. In the spring of 2020, she virtually graduated from the University of Wyoming with a B.S. in biology with minors in journalism and business. When she’s not writing for WPR, she enjoys baking, reading, playing with her dog, and caring for her many plants.
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