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Our Local Chapters
The Carbon
County Chapter
Carbon
County is located in
southeastern Wyoming and
includes such notable features as the North Platte River,
Seminoe and Pathfinder Reservoirs, the Shirley
Mountains, and portions of
the Sierra Madre and Medicine Bow
Ranges. The land varies
from alpine forests to sage brush flats.
Ranching has been an
important part of Carbon County since its settlement by
Europeans. The Carbon County Chapter of the Wyoming Stock Growers
Agricultural Land Trust was formed to ensure that the natural,
productive, and scenic qualities of the land that make Carbon County so
special for residents and visitors alike, will continue to remain an
important part of its future. The Carbon County Chapter has formed
a Steering Committee composed of ranchers and community leaders. The
chapter supports WSGALTs work in community outreach, fundraising,
recruiting volunteers, identifying conservation opportunities, and
providing assistance with the conservation easement acquisition and
monitoring process.
Carbon County Chapter Steering Committee Members:
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Irene Archibald
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Donna Glode
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Kristen Barkhurst
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Joe Glode
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Jim Berger
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Jerry Kraft
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Kurt Bucholz
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John Lunt
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Bill Ellis
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Ruth Shepherd
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Mike Evans
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The Absaroka
Beartooth Chapter
ABRT was established in 2001 to help conserve the ranching
land base on the northeast slope of the Absaroka-Beartooth
Mountains from Livingston
, Montana to Thermopolis
, Wyoming . This region has a long
ranching tradition, which has supported the area's scenic beauty and
wildlife resources for generations, making the area a national and
international tourist destination.
ABRT provides livestock
producers with the opportunity to work with an agriculturally oriented
organization that assists in keeping their land in agriculture, and
enables it to be passed on to the next generation as a working unit. The
group's founders decided not to put their time and energy into creating
an organization with the administrative structure to support the
long-term management of conservation easement. Rather, the group would
work through existing land trusts and put their efforts into raising
funds for the purchase of conservation easements and associated
development rights. Although the chapter will continue to facilitate the
donation of conservation easements within the region, it hopes to
specialize in providing the resources to make agricultural land
conservation more financially advantageous for the traditional working
ranches. The chapter has a goal of purchasing one or two agricultural
easements a year.
The Star Valley
Chapter
Star Valley became the third local chapter
of WSGALT, joining the existing Carbon County and Absaroka-Beartooth
chapters. Star Valley is located 60 miles south of Jackson and encompasses the towns of
Alpine, Afton, Etna, and Thayne. The region is noted for its spectacular
mountain scenery, abundant wildlife, productive agricultural lands, and
small town atmosphere. It is one
of the few regions in Wyoming where dairies are common.
The abundant
recreational opportunities and high natural amenities have attracted
considerable growth to the region. Between 1990 and 2000 Star Valley communities grew by nearly
50%. One third of the land parcels
in Lincoln County that exceeded 400 acres in size
changed hands between 1990 and 2001.
Of these, less than half (41%) were sold for traditional ranching
purposes.
The Star Valley Chapter
was formed as an independent land trust in 2000. The goals of the organization were to
work to retain the agricultural lands, natural qualities, and rural
character of region. After
discussion about mutually supportive goals, the Star Valley Land Trust
became a local chapter of the WSGALT in December of 2004. Through the agreement, WSGALT will
support the chapters work by assuming budgetary and administrative
responsibilities as well as overseeing the negotiation of conservation
easements. The chapter will direct
local conservation activities through identifying projects, community
outreach, and fundraising.
Star Valley Advisory Board Members:
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Deb Wolfley
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Chad
Jensen
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Gary Fralick
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Jerry Harmon
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Rob Gipson
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Laura Fay Jensen
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Star Valley Chapter Board Members:
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Jermy Wight (vice-president)
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Nancy
Winters
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Nancy Hoffman (secretary)
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Brenda Ashworth
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Linda Holsan
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George Erickson
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John Woodward
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Jody Bagley
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Carolyn Nield
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Sue Ellen Bagley
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Roger Preston
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