Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative 2017 Annual Report

The WLCI was established in February 2007 after discussions among the state and
regional directors of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department about the
need for a landscape-scale approach to ensure healthy wildlife populations in areas
with proposed energy development.

The WLCI program entails inventory and assessment of species and habitat to
determine what habitat enhancement projects, such as vegetation treatments, are
necessary. The collaborative effort represented by the WLCI is unique as it provides
a means to address multiple concerns at a scale that considers all activities on the
landscape, incorporates multiple needs in project implementation, and can leverage
resources that might not be available for single agency projects.

An Executive Committee composed of government executives and elected officials
provides the guidance and decision-making authority for the WLCI. The interagency
Coordination Team (CT) manages the daily operations of the Initiative and provides
oversight of the Initiative’s landscape priorities and conservation implementation.

The CT works with Local Project Development Teams (LPDTs) to identify fish and
wildlife habitat issues and cooperatively create projects and set conservation priorities.
LPDTs include biologists, range managers, conservation districts, landowners,
county commissioners and interested parties, including members of the public. Four
geographically based LPDTs meet quarterly:

• Carbon County
• Lincoln/Uinta Counties
• Sublette County
• Sweetwater County