WWNRT celebrates 20th anniversary
The 20th anniversary of the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT) was recognized during the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) Environmental Stewardship Tour June 25 at the Robinson Ranch near Douglas.
The WWNRT was established by the Wyoming Legislature in 2005 to provide funding for conservation efforts throughout the state. The WWNRT is guided by a nine-member volunteer board who oversee distribution of funds in addition to on-the-ground site visits.
Since its inception, the WWNRT has provided funding for more than 2,000 conservation projects throughout each of Wyoming’s 23 counties.
Current and former members of the board, in addition to government officials and supporters of the WWNRT, were present at the ceremony to take turns highlighting the achievements, objectives and future of the WWNRT before receiving the commemorative plaque.
Former Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and current Gov. Mark Gordon also provided insight to the storied past and hopeful future of the WWNRT.
Each speech highlighted the WWNRT as an example of Wyomingites’ ability to unite across party lines with a common goal, emphasizing an ethic of unwavering commitment to the preservation of the Cowboy State’s natural resources, wildlife habitats and community values in an ethic dubbed “The Wyoming Way.”
Remembering the past
“We’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of something that has real meaning for the state of Wyoming,” opened WSGA Executive Vice President Jim Magagna, emphasizing there were numerous discussions and disagreements about the WWNRT before it became a reality.
Magagna then passed the microphone to Freudenthal who expanded upon the history and evolution of the WWNRT. Freudenthal was heavily involved throughout the entire process of establishing the WWNRT, from its first introduction in the 1980s to its eventual passage in 2005.
Freudenthal noted a series of bills introduced between 1981 and 1982 with the goal of establishing a trust to protect recreation resources, all of which failed due to too much authority and responsibility being placed on pre-existing groups such as the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Legislators eventually recognized the need for an independent board “without other missions” to govern the fund, and the WWNRT began to take successful shape in the early 2000s.
Freudenthal credited the WWNRT’s success to the establishment of an independent board that united in the common interest of conservation separate from interests of pre-existing groups.
He also gave credit to critics of the original bill, including current Executive Director Bob Budd, for speaking out against the original legislation’s deep flaws and seeing the WWNRT through to where it stands today.
“You know the dynamic of Wyoming. You had to get people of all stripes to finally sit down and say, ‘Alright, we’re going to give this a shot.’ There’s still that spirit in Wyoming that if there’s a job to get done, we’re going to put up our guard against our biases, put on our gloves and get it done,” Freudenthal concluded.
Securing the future
“It’s very easy to celebrate the history of something, but that needs to include a commitment to making sure of its continuation,” emphasized Magagna. He then turned the conversation over to Gordon.
Gordon looked toward the future of the WWNRT with a tone of cautious optimism, urging audience members to get involved with conservation and truly appreciate what the WWNRT does for Wyoming and what keeps it effective.
“We all should take a little bit of time to celebrate what this great trust has done for Wyoming, but also to remind people in this state that it is constantly a struggle to protect this,” Gordon stressed.
The Wyoming Way
In spite of shifting political and cultural climates, a deeply rooted attitude of perseverance and care continues to run deep within the state of Wyoming.
“This truly is the Equality State,” Wyoming State Director for the Nature Conservancy Hayley Mortimer commented. “When it comes to issues that we care about – the issues we will fight over – there’s one thing we cannot deny. We love this landscape, and we love the wildlife that roam through it.”
Budd’s closing remarks celebrated the “Wyoming Way” of doing things the WWNRT exemplifies – an attitude of collaboration across party lines to preserve the history and resources of the state.
“The relationship we have in this state between conservation groups, landowners, stock growers and others did not always exist,” said Budd.
He also credited the WWNRT’s current and continued success to strong leadership in the governor’s seat, an excellent board and dedicated partners.
“It’s all about our neighbors – it’s all about what we do,” Budd concluded. “It truly is the Wyoming Way.”
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
