40th Anniversary of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation.
On June 7, 2024, the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation will celebrate its 40th anniversary. The celebration will be held in conjunction with its summer convention at the Little America Hotel and Conference Center in Cheyenne, WY. The foundation is dedicated to preserving Wyoming's bighorn sheep herds and their habitats, to conservation education, and to hunter's rights.
The 1960s saw a drastic decline in bighorn sheep populations and their habitats throughout the country. This prompted the formation of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep in 1974. It is now known as the Wild Sheep Foundation. The foundation aimed to restore and manage sheep herds and their ranges.
In 1983, Dave Steger, Ron Ball, Alex Wolfer, John Suda, and Terry Reach established the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation. The Wyoming foundation sought the same goals as the national group, but solely within the borders of the State.
Wyoming's rugged mountains and western plains are home to 15 bighorn sheep herds. With over 5,900 wild sheep, Wyoming is a mecca for bighorn sheep.
The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation plays a critical role in maintaining the health and vitality of each herd and the habitat in which they thrive. Conservation efforts to preserve these herds includes bighorn sheep reintroduction, recreational trail closure, and prescribed burns.
The re-establishment of the Ferris-Seminoe herd near Rawlins proves to be one of the most successful transplant efforts for bighorn sheep in Wyoming. The low population prompted the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, in partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish, to capture and transplant bighorn sheep from the Whiskey Mountain and Devil Canyon herds to augment and re-establish the Ferris- Seminoe herd. Those continued efforts help the herd thrive and reach population objectives set forth by the Wyoming Game and Fish.
Similar to the Ferris-Seminoe herd, the Sweetwater Rocks herd was completely decimated by 1907 and again in 1980. Recently, the foundation established the Sweetwater Rocks Initiative to reintroduce sheep into the region. The foundation is collaborating with the Wyoming Game and Fish and local ranchers to ``put wild sheep back on the mountain.''
The snowcapped peaks and rocky mountains in northwestern Wyoming are home to the Teton Range herd. The herd nearly died out in the 19th and 20th centuries due to over harvest, disease, habitat depletion, and disturbance of their migration routes. The foundation's mitigation efforts include working with the Wyoming Game and Fish and Grand Teton National Park to close recreation areas in important bighorn sheep habitats and to collar the sheep to track survival patterns.
The survival and growth of the herds, the vitality of the habitat, and the endless dedication of every member are a testimony to the importance of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation.
The foundation partnered with the Wyoming Big Game License Coalition to establish five Governor's Bighorn Sheep hunting tags. This collaboration helps fund conservation projects for bighorn sheep and ensure hunting remains an integral part of Wyoming's heritage. Since the partnership began in 2003, bighorn sheep tags have raised over $5 million for conservation.
In 2015, one of Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation's lifetime members Gary Butler approached the foundation to establish a permanent bighorn sheep conservation fund. The plan was to ensure long-term projects were sustainable into the future. Due to the popularity of this fund, it has already exceeded the original goals. As of 2022, the fund generated more than $400,000 and awarded 11 lifetime memberships to youth. Gary's dedication to bighorn sheep is a testament to the caliber of this organization and to each member's unwavering devotion to the long-term survival of Wyoming's wild sheep.
The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation is an incredible asset for conservation efforts in Wyoming. No project is too small. Each of the foundation's members bears a resolute commitment to the strength of the herd and the habitat, all while maintaining the values of hunting. The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation is led by:
Katie Cheesbrough, Executive Director
Dean DiJenno, Deputy Director
Zach McDermott, President
Scott Butler, Vice President
Bralli Clifford, Treasurer
Bruce Perryman, Secretary
John W. Harris, Board Director
Kurt Eisenach, Past President
Sam Lockwood, Board Director
Scott Smith, Board Director
Jimmy Owens, Board Director
Matt Hoobler, Board Director
Greg Pope, Board Director
It is an honor to rise in recognition of this significant milestone for the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation. The impact and opportunities the foundation has created for bighorn sheep, hunters, and youth leaves an astonishing mark on the outlook of bighorn sheep in Wyoming. Congratulations to the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation on their 40th anniversary.
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