Wyoming

For the first time, biologists know where Wyoming’s pikas dwell — at least for now – WyoFile

Published

1 year ago

December 5, 2024

For the first time, biologists know where Wyoming’s pikas dwell — at least for now – WyoFile

The whereabouts of the pint-sized pika, a mammalian indicator species that is losing its alpine habitat to climate change, have been mapped for the first time in Wyoming’s reaches of the Rocky Mountains.

Biologists who keep watch over non-game species for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department surveyed the distribution of the talus-dwelling lagomorphs, finding pikas in nine mountainous areas: the Salt River, Snake River, Wyoming, Wind River, Gros Ventre, Teton, Absaroka, Bighorn and Snowy ranges. The effort was motivated by a desire to better understand how climate change stands to influence the animal’s unique alpine habitat niche in the Equality State.

“They are a habitat specialist that is sensitive to temperature,” Game and Fish Nongame Mammal Biologist Dana Nelson told WyoFile. “Knowing that, and knowing that climate change is a leading threat that we really want to have figured out, that motivated the implementation of those statewide occupancy surveys a few years ago.”

Although the surveys date to 2020 and 2021, the results were more recently published in the state agency’s annual nongame “job completion report.”

The results of 167 surveys completed at 100 unique sites show that the tiny, short-eared cousin of the rabbit occupied 57% of the suitable habitat in the state. As time goes on, and Wyoming’s mountains continue to warm, biologists will then have baseline data to examine, and lots of it. Fortunately, the technicians who shouldered the intensive fieldwork also amassed data on slope angle and direction where pikas dwelled, in addition to inventorying vegetative cover — and logging temperatures above and below ground.

(Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Armed with that data, Nelson, colleagues and generations of Wyoming biologists to come will be able to detect not only if pikas have abandoned certain areas, but also if they are shifting their range uphill or selecting habitat based on another parameter.

Wyoming’s pika research is funding-dependent, and the schedule isn’t cemented, but Nelson’s hoping to pull off a repeat of the 2021 and 2022 surveys every five to six years. The initial effort was funded through a state wildlife grant, she said.

Based on a mountain of existing research, it’s likely that the changes Game and Fish biologists detect won’t be favorable for the American pika, a twice Endangered Species Act-petitioned — but not listed — species.

“Pikas have been lost from 32% to 36% of the [habitat] patches in four different mountain ranges in Idaho and Montana,” said Erik Beever, a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center.

Beever, who’s studied pikas for three decades, cited that grim finding from a 2021 study led by his then-graduate student that looked at evidence of where pikas live now — and where they used to — based on their scat and food caches. Vacant habitat suggested that climate change is already making incursions into pika range: The places they used to be are consistently warmer, consistently drier, and consistently hold a lower snowpack, he said.

The environmental changes affecting pikas vary from place to place.

An American pika photographed in 2016. (Robin Horn/Flickr creative commons)

“The nice thing about this species is it really spans about a third of North America,” Beever said. “Magnitudes of change across studies have varied pretty markedly based on where you are in the range.”

With a range extending south to New Mexico and north into Canada, Wyoming’s pikas are located approximately in the middle. Being central bodes well, Beever said, because it lessens the likelihood they’ll experience the starker habitat changes felt on the far reaches of the range.

“At first blush, one might expect the magnitude of influence of contemporary climate variability and change to be less in Wyoming than other places,” Beever said.

A National Park Service-led study also suggests that Wyoming pikas’ alpine abodes might hold up more favorably than other areas of the range. The collaborative research, forebodingly titled Pikas in Peril, examined pika habitat in eight different national parks and monuments.

“They predicted pika occupancy in Grand Teton National Park to remain at 100% throughout the 21st century, whereas it was predicted to decline in every other park — in some of them dramatically,” Beever said. “Working there [in the Tetons], we’re trying to figure out what that ‘secret sauce’ is so that we can help export that for climate adaptation efforts across the rest of the country.”

BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to WyoFile. Our work is funded by readers like you who are committed to unbiased journalism that works for you, not for the algorithms.

Source link

Wyoming

This Small Wyoming Town Has The Best Downtown

Published

3 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

This Small Wyoming Town Has The Best Downtown

If you’re planning on visiting Wyoming, for a truly authentic experience, you must include at least one of the state’s awesome downtowns in your travel plans. Positioned at the southern end of the 60-mile-long valley known as Jackson Hole, the character-rich town of Jackson is one such place to consider. A wonderful place to explore on foot, Jackson’s unique downtown, with its Old West vibe, spreads out from the intersection of Broadway and Cache Street. While it consists of just a few blocks, it is jam-packed with fun things to do, no matter what time of year you visit. Its impressive elk arch makes for an excellent photo opportunity, while the charm of its Old West heritage exudes from the historic buildings, cowboy-themed bars, and art installations across town. The wild past also comes to life in Jackson during the Jackson Hole Shootout at the Town Square, a tradition that has endured since 1957.

Town Square And The Elk Antler Arches

Tourists love to pose for pictures before the Elk Antler Arch at George Washington Memorial Park in Jackson, Wyoming.

Though Jackson’s Central Park is officially known as George Washington Memorial Park, locals and visitors alike prefer to call it Town Square. Dedicated in 1934, this centrally located public space occupies the block at Broadway and Cache and is famous for the elk antler archers set at each of its corners.

Made entirely from naturally shed elk antlers, the first arch was erected by local Boy Scouts and Rotary Club members in 1953, with the other three added a few years later. Each consists of around 2,000 antlers collected from the nearby National Elk Refuge and is among the most photographed landmarks in Wyoming.

Antlers on auction at the Elk Antler Auction during ELKFEST in Jackson, Wyoming.

For a truly memorable experience, try to time a visit to coincide with ELKFEST. Held in May, this community-wide celebration attracts visitors from across the country for events like the Mountain Man Rendezvous, a reenactment of the state’s early fur trading years.

The main event, though, is the highly anticipated Elk Antler Auction. Bidders from far and wide turn up at Town Square to purchase antlers, which are then used to make everything from furniture to jewelry (proceeds going back to the Elk Refuge).

Jackson’s Cowboy Heritage

Jackson Hole Shootout celebrations in Jackson, Wyoming.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, Town Square becomes the backdrop of the famous Jackson Hole Shootout. This fun (and free) mock gunfight has been entertaining visitors since 1957 and includes several costumed outlaws and lawmen shooting it out (with blanks, of course). You can add to the experience by hopping aboard the Jackson Hole Stagecoach, a ride aboard a century-old coach that loops around downtown.

The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson, Wyoming.

The Old West theme is evident in other spots around the downtown core, too. Steps from Town Square, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar has been around since 1937 and is set in what was once the town’s first bank in the late 1890s. Highlights include its hand-carved bar top with silver dollars embedded in it, as well as its cool saddle barstools. Live music is regularly scheduled on the stage that has seen such legends as Willie Nelson and Hank Williams Jr. perform.

A cowboy mannequin in front of a photos store in Jackson, Wyoming.

The Wort Hotel is another downtown landmark you’ll want to include in your Jackson itinerary. A local fixture since 1941, it’s here you’ll find the famous Silver Dollar Bar with its custom-made S-shaped counter inlaid with 2,032 uncirculated (and therefore rare) 1921 silver dollars. You’ll also want to check out its priceless collection of original Western art.

Other Fun Stuff To Do In Downtown Jackson

Local businesses in downtown Jackson, Wyoming.

In addition to its iconic bars, downtown Jackson also boasts a world-class food scene. Highlights include Persephone Bakery, its old-fashioned stone hearth turning out delicious baked goods, including croissants and artisanal bread. Also yummy, Cafe Genevieve occupies an old log cabin and serves breakfast and lunch with a Southern-inspired menu.

The Mountain Trails Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming. Image credit: DXR via Wikimedia Commons.

Jackson’s art scene is also worth a mention. Art galleries are plentiful in the downtown area, with establishments like Astoria Fine Art and Mountain Trails Galleries, both on Town Square, featuring works by local, national, and international artists. The Center for the Arts is another cultural high point and features performance spaces, visual arts studios, and an outdoor sculpture park.

Snow King Mountain

Another unique feature of Jackson’s downtown is its proximity to some of Wyoming’s best (and certainly most accessible) ski hills. The base of Snow King Mountain is just six blocks from Town Square and has been in use since 1936, and really took off when Wyoming’s first chairlift opened here in 1946.

The chairlift ride in Snow King Mountain.

Dubbed the “Town Hill” by locals, Snow King now consists of 500 skiable acres, 41 named runs, three chairlifts, an eight-passenger gondola, and night skiing. In warmer months, the action shifts to a thrilling Cowboy Coaster, a zipline, a treetop adventure ropes course, and an alpine slide.

The Snow King Observatory and Planetarium is another excuse to head for the hills from downtown Jackson. Located at the summit of Snow King Mountain, in addition to its large telescope, this must-see attraction features a planetarium theater and a rooftop observation deck boasting incredible views over Jackson and the Jackson Hole Valley.

Explore Jackson’s Not-So-Wild Side

Downtown Jackson has so much to offer visitors seeking an authentic slice of Wyoming life. From its unique elk antler arches to its art galleries and cowboy culture, as well as its unique position steps from the ski hills, few towns in the USA’s Mountain Region can match the long list of fun things to do in Jackson’s downtown core.

Source link

Wyoming

FROM WYOFILE: Company eyes Wyoming for massive crude oil pipeline

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

FROM WYOFILE: Company eyes Wyoming for massive crude oil pipeline

A pipeline company has proposed a massive new “expansion” to ship Canadian crude to a storage facility and interconnect to other pipelines near Guernsey, potentially giving Powder River Basin producers a leg up in the North American market.Casper-based Bridger Pipeline formed a subsidiary, Bridger Pipeline Expansion to get Canadian crude to Guernsey. The pipeline would stretch 645 miles from Phillips County, Montana, to Bridger’s oil storage terminal and pipeline interconnect near Guernsey.
The expansion would open the spigot for 550,000 barrels per day of crude, the company says. Although the crude would mostly pass through eastern Wyoming, the venture opens opportunities for Wyoming oil producers in the region for more transportation access to U.S. refineries and shipping ports, according to Bridger and local industry officials.“It would be the biggest project in our history, if it comes to fruition,” Bridger Pipeline spokesperson Bill Salvin told WyoFile on Friday. “We are, however, in the really early stages of the project. But we’re very excited about it.”Industry trade groups speculate the Bridger Pipeline Expansion is part of a competitive scramble to fill a gap left by TC Energy’s Keystone XL project. That company, in 2021, abandoned the controversial project in the face of major opposition and protests. It would have transported Canadian tar-sands oil into the U.S. market via a route extending through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Among many challenges for Keystone XL was acquiring new rights-of-way easements. Though the Bridger Pipeline Expansion proposal requires some new rights-of-way, that’s not the case for the 210-mile Wyoming segment, according to Salvin.“All of that distance is within, or parallel to, existing pipeline corridors,” Salvin said.

TNCMS.AdManager.render({region: ‘fixed-big-ad-middle-asset’, slot: 1, fold: “span”});

The Wyoming segment would pass through Crook, Weston, Niobrara, Goshen and Platte counties.Bridger Pipeline, a subsidiary of Casper-based True Companies, submitted a notice of intent to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in January and noted it will formally initiate environmental applications to the agency. Salvin told WyoFile he’s uncertain about the full spectrum of regulatory requirements in Wyoming.However, the company regards the Cowboy State as a great fit for the project, he said. “This [project proposal] just highlights how important the region is and how Wyoming is a very good place for energy projects like this.”Reached for comment, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming said the proposed pipeline only stands to benefit Wyoming producers and the state.“Investments like these, along with continued growth in areas like the Powder River Basin, show Wyoming will continue to play an important role in the nation’s energy markets,” PAW Vice President and Director of Communications Ryan McConnaughey told WyoFile. “Connecting in Guernsey allows product to be transported to refining hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma.” WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

#placement_821454_0_i{width:100%;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid821454 = window.pid821454 || rnd;var plc821454 = window.plc821454 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || ”;var absrc=”https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=821454;type=js;sw=”+screen.width+’;sh=”+screen.height+”;spr=”+window.devicePixelRatio+”;kw=’+abkw+’;pid=’+pid821454+’;place=”+(plc821454++)+”;rnd=’+rnd+’;click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER’;var _absrc = absrc.split(“type=js”); absrc = _absrc[0] + ‘type=js;referrer=” + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write(“‘);

Source link

Wyoming

Meyer’s Late Score Lifts Wyoming past Air Force – SweetwaterNOW

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Meyer’s Late Score Lifts Wyoming past Air Force – SweetwaterNOW

Naz Meyer. Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-UW Media-Athletics

LARAMIE — Nasir Meyer converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining to give Wyoming Cowboys men’s basketball the lead for good, and Wyoming held Air Force Falcons men’s basketball scoreless over the final two minutes to secure a 66-62 victory Saturday night.

The win marked the 13th home victory of the season for Wyoming, which improved to 16-13 overall and 7-11 in conference play.

“Air Force deserves all the credit and let’s talk about a team that has every reason not to fight, but thats why they are Air Force and the cadets and I have a lot of respect for them,” Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks said. “They were not going to quit, and I didn’t drive that message home enough and hats off to Air Force because they deserved to win. We snuck away with a win. Adam Harakow showed when we need him and he was massive for us. Simm-Marten was made big plays and Naz was clutch for us late.”

Advertisement – Story continues below…

University of Wyoming sports coverage
in Southwest Wyoming is supported by these great sponsors:

Wyoming shot 35% from the field and went 7 of 28 from 3-point range, making just two from beyond the arc in the second half. Air Force shot 49% overall and 44% from 3, hitting eight shots from long distance. The Cowboys made 13 of 16 free throws (81%) and scored 22 points off 15 Air Force turnovers while holding a 39-36 edge in rebounding.

Damarion Dennis led Wyoming with 16 points and three assists, going 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. Meyer finished with 14 points and tied a career best with eight rebounds. Adam Harakow added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, his first double-figure scoring game since the first meeting with Air Force. Simm-Marten Saadi had nine points in 13 minutes, and Kiani Saxon grabbed seven rebounds.

Air Force opened with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 6-0 lead. Meyer scored Wyoming’s first basket, and Leland Walker added a 3-pointer to make it 8-5 with 16 minutes left in the first half.

Wyoming responded with a 9-0 run over nearly four minutes, with Saadi and Harakow each connecting from beyond the arc to give the Cowboys an 11-8 lead with under 14 minutes remaining. Air Force regained a 12-11 advantage as Wyoming went scoreless for more than two minutes.

Harakow’s second 3-pointer pushed the lead to 22-16 with nine minutes left in the half, and Wyoming used a 6-0 run while holding the Falcons without a field goal for more than four minutes to build a 28-18 lead with six minutes remaining. The Cowboys closed the half on a defensive stand, keeping Air Force scoreless for the final two minutes to take a 35-25 lead into the break. Wyoming scored 15 first-half points off turnovers.

The teams traded 3-pointers early in the second half, and Air Force cut the deficit to 40-31 with under 17 minutes left before trimming it to seven 90 seconds later. Walker answered with a 3-pointer to make it 43-33 with 15 minutes to go.

Air Force used a 9-0 run during a stretch in which Wyoming went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point to pull within one with nine minutes left. The Falcons later tied the game at 51-51 with 5:30 remaining after forcing six straight missed shots.

A pair of free throws by Meyer and a basket from Saadi gave Wyoming a 57-53 lead with under four minutes to play. Air Force answered with three consecutive 3-pointers from Kam Sanders to take a 62-59 lead with two minutes left.

Meyer scored with 90 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to one. On the next trip, he converted an and-one to give Wyoming a 64-62 lead with 35 seconds left. The Cowboys added late free throws to close out the 66-62 win.

Sanders led Air Force with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Eli Robinson added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

Wyoming closes its home schedule Tuesday against Nevada Wolf Pack men’s basketball at 8 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Cowgirls.

Source link