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Outdoor collaborative brings in wildlife biologist to explore better ways to recreate

By
Mark Davis with the Powell Tribune, via the Wyoming News Exchange

POWELL — While the Park County Outdoor Recreation Collaborative obviously advocates for spending time in the great outdoors and taking advantage of our tremendous public resources, it is also concerned about the impacts of increased usage on wildlife and critical habitats. 
 
To address the issue head on, its members invited Wyoming Game and Fish Department Cody Region Wildlife Management Coordinator Corey Class to address their question: Does outdoor recreation impact wildlife? 
 
Class’ simple answer: “There are no simple answers.” 
 
The impact depends on a lot of different issues, from the type of activity, the time of day, the species of animals, the frequency of recreation in that area and the predictability of the recreation. Recreation that happens on trails or roads is far more predictable than activities that happen off the beaten path. 
 
Death of an animal is the biggest impact on wildlife, Class said. 
 
“If a particular recreation type were to scare an animal into something, a fence or something else that might cause death, that’s the most extreme impact,” he said. 
 
There are also many direct impacts that don’t end up in death, yet still damage habitats or change the lives of wildlife — even leaving the trail momentarily to avoid a puddle can negatively impact habitat, he said. 
 
“Everybody goes around the wet spots. That just adds to the footprint of that trail,” he said, adding that it’s a relatively small impact in the grand scheme of things, but an example of how small actions can impact a habitat. 
 
Winter recreation can have a huge impact, he said. 
 
Wildlife have to bank energy in their fat reserves and then budget it through winter. If they spend more of the reserves than they have through the winter, they die. Every unnecessary movement — especially large game animals like elk, deer, moose and pronghorns — costs much needed reserves. 
 
Examples of this could be seen in western Wyoming last winter when the severity of the storms overwhelmed species and mortality was high. The resulting death has greatly altered recreation through the reduction of hunting licenses and fewer numbers on the landscape for those who were able to draw a tag. 
 
“When we start causing more energetic demands, like moving [herds] unnecessarily, that uses a little bit more of the bank account. So that can certainly be an issue and can reduce survival. It’s really hard to measure though,” Class said. 
 
Another large impact to habitat due, at least in part, to recreation is the spread of noxious weeds. Seeds for invasive species are carried to the backcountry by tires, horses or on the bottom of boots of outdoor recreation enthusiasts. 
 
“You’ve probably seen cheat grass and dandelions and various other [invasive weeds] in places they don’t belong. They probably got there in one form or another through us,” he said. 
 
Many winter ranges for big game animals are regulated by the department, giving animals a more stress-free existence — at least in terms of human interaction. But even more habitat is becoming fragmented. More land is being developed and there are more people seeking outdoor recreation all the time, he said. Activities including skiing, hiking, boating, snowmobiling, off-roading and overlanding, mountain biking and hunting all impact wildlife and nearby habitats. 
 
“Animals are getting forced into smaller areas,” he said. “It doesn’t feel like in our county — we’re still pretty big and it feels like [we have] a lot of wide open spaces, right. So we feel pretty good about that. But I see all the subdivision applications and everything that comes in. And believe it or not, we’re fragmenting at a pretty high rate.” 
 

 
 
As habitats are fragmented, quality habitat becomes even more important. 
 
Increased outdoor recreation can play a huge rule, making even the highest quality habitats stressful for animals. But quantifying impacts are difficult and require time consuming studies that can take years to flesh out. Even when a study has been completed, it’s often for just one of many species that use a habitat. 
 
And, of course, every animal has its own tolerance of human interaction. Deer, for example, have a higher tolerance than elk and may be less stressed by outdoor recreation enthusiasts. 
 
But studies have shown that disturbances in the habitat may make them more nocturnal. Being forced into a nocturnal pattern, possibly by a trail or road, is less efficient for animals in search of food and safe harbor than existing in habitats that allow for free range. 
 
The National Environmental Protection Act, signed into law Jan. 1, 1970, requires federal agencies to assess environmental impacts of their proposed actions prior to making decisions. The range of actions covered by NEPA is broad and includes making decisions on permit applications, adopting federal land management actions, and constructing highways and other publicly owned facilities. 
 
It also includes impact studies on new trail systems, like PCORC’s proposed new mountain biking route at Outlaw Trails north of Cody. The new trail system will likely be the next big win for the collaborative after going through years of the regulatory process, starting long before the founding of the organization and brought to the group by steering committee member John Gallagher, who founded the Beck Lake bike park and other trail designations throughout the region. 
 
NEPA requires the federal government to use “all practicable means to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Act requires all federal agencies to prepare detailed statements assessing the environmental impact of and alternatives to major federal actions significantly affecting the environment. These statements are commonly referred to as Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments. 
 
While the state does not make decisions involving federal public land, it is often consulted for information on migration routes, important core habitats and ways to mitigate the impacts of recreation on the landscape, Class said. 
 
“We can have seasonal closures. We can have operational timeframes that are going to be less detrimental to wildlife than others. So, there are definitely ways we’re always willing to consult and help with folks and ideas where we might be able to accomplish both goals of recreation, but also mitigate some of the more serious impacts,” he said. 
 
PCORC steering committee members include Rebekah Burns, Powell Economic Partnership/Powell Chamber & Visitor Center; Powell Mayor John Wetzel; Christi Greaham, Northwest College CTD; Wes Allen, owner of Sunlight Sports; John Gallagher, Park County Pedalers; Brenda Miller, WY State Snowmobile Association; and Brooks Jordan, Wyoming State Parks. 
 
For more information, visit at wyooutdoorrecreation.wyo.gov/index.php/ outdoor-recreation-collaboratives/parkcounty-outdoor-recreation-collaborativepcorc.
 
This story was published on October 24, 2023. 

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