Connect with us

Wyoming

Gray Wolf Hunting will Continue in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana

Published

on

Gray Wolf Hunting will Continue in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana


U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have announced that it will not restore protections for gray wolves across portions of six states and allow hunting to continue in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

This after environmental groups petitioned to return wolves in the Rocky Mountains to the federal endangered species list.

Just before leaving office in 2020, the Trump administration removed endangered species protections for wolves across the United States, but a federal judge in 2022 restored them outside of the Northern Rockies.

“Tragically, the wolf has become a pawn in a well-orchestrated campaign of disinformation,” said Brooks Fahy, executive director of Predator Defense. “And Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have become the poster children for what happens when politics trumps science. What they are doing to wolves—wantonly shooting, trapping and snaring them or driving over them with a snowmobile—can only be described as animal torture. Science shows us the importance of intact pack structures. Each family member has a vital role to play and they grieve each loss.”

Advertisement

Federal officials estimate the current gray wolf population to be somewhere around 2,800 animals at the end of 2022.

“The population maintains high genetic diversity and connectivity, further supporting their ability to adapt to future changes,” the agency said in a news release.

At the end of 2022, the Wyoming Game and Fish’s annual Wyoming Gray Wolf Monitoring and Management annual report shows that the gray wolf population in the Cowboy State was above the minimum recovery criteria for a 21st consecutive year.

At least 338 wolves in greater than 41 packs (including more than 23 breeding pairs) inhabited Wyoming statewide on Dec. 31, 2022. There were 160 wolves within the Wolf Trophy Game Management Area.

The WGF Department wrote that wolves were confirmed to have killed or injured 97 head of livestock — 46 cattle, 46 sheep, and 5 horses) statewide in 2022. This is similiar to the numbers from the year prior.

Advertisement

The report for 2023 has not yet been published.

See Gray Wolf Hunting Information here.

Bighorn Sheep Out & About

Gallery Credit: Kolby Fedore, TSM

Casper Mountain is a Winter Wonderland

Gallery Credit: Kolby Fedore, Townsquare Media





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Wyoming

Wyoming Humanities awards Sinks Canyon State Park over $5K

Published

on

Wyoming Humanities awards Sinks Canyon State Park over $5K


(Fremont County, WY) – Nine non-profit organizations throughout the state recently received significant grants from Wyoming Humanities. One of the nine is located in Fremont County. Wyoming Crossroads Grants are part of an initiative to apply humanities perspectives locally, helping to realize growth through change. Since the program’s inception, Wyoming Humanities has awarded hundreds of thousands in Wyoming Crossroads […]



Source link

Continue Reading

Wyoming

Wyoming, Delaware, and Montana are the most entrepreneurial states of 2024 so far. It might be due to business-friendly taxes.

Published

on

Wyoming, Delaware, and Montana are the most entrepreneurial states of 2024 so far. It might be due to business-friendly taxes.


Business is booming out West, even in the country’s least populated state.

Wyoming leads the nation for most new business openings per 100,000 residents since the start of 2024, according to Census Bureau data and Business Insider’s analysis of population data.

Delaware and Montana are second and third in new business openings per 100,000 residents since the start of 2024.

Wyoming has seen 1,657 new businesses open since the start of the year, according to the Census Bureau. In Delaware, 1,583 have opened. And in Montana, 1,207. All of those states are particularly tax-friendly for new entrepreneurs.

Advertisement

The boom in business translates to 283 new businesses per 100,000 residents in Wyoming, 153 in Delaware, and 106 in Montana.

As many Americans face high costs of living and seek out new opportunities, states like Wyoming and Montana have seen a surge in economic activity. Wyoming also led the nation in new business applications per capita in 2023, according to the Chamber of Commerce. And the number of new business applications in Wyoming in 2022 was seven times greater than in 2005, according to data from the St. Louis Fed.

According to Census Bureau data, Wyoming was the least populated state in the nation as of 2023, with 584,057 residents. Yet, Wyoming’s population is steadily growing, increasing 1.2% from 2020 to 2023.

In Montana, the population increased by 4.5% from 2020 to 2023, according to Census Bureau data.

It’s yet another sign that the economy is heading away from traditional coastal hubs, and more South and West. The pandemic shifted workers and money away from stalwarts like New York City and San Francisco, with many opting for wide open (cheaper) spaces in areas like Wyoming. And while pandemic-era population and job shifts may have slowed, it looks like business is still booming in Wyoming — perhaps showcasing a more permanent trend.

Advertisement

Business is bustling in some states, but many new ones won’t make it

While business is booming, it’s important to recognize that about a quarter of all new private businesses in the US fail within their first year, according to an April report by LendingTree, a loan service. Within five years, that number climbs to nearly half.

According to the Chamber of Commerce, small businesses make up 99.9% of all businesses in the US. As the Fed holds interest rates at 20-year highs and inflation cools slightly, many new business owners may struggle to find their footing.

But the Bureau of Labor Statistics does have its own measure to approximate just how many new businesses actually came of those applications; BLS splices data on past new businesses with their forecast of new businesses to yield a measure showing what actual formations might look like. And according to that measure, Wyoming and its Western counterparts — along with Delaware — are due to have businesses with some staying power.

In fact, the St. Louis Fed listed Wyoming and Delaware as the two states with the largest growth rates in number of business applications from 2005 to 2022.

Advertisement

Business-friendly taxation

Wyoming, Delaware, and Montana are all particularly attractive to new business owners due to their tax laws. It’s a reason that entrepreneurship might stay strong.

Wyoming is one of three states alongside South Dakota and Nevada that does not impose a corporate income tax, according to the Tax Foundation, a Washington D.C. based think tank.

Furthermore, Wyoming does not impose an individual income tax, another appeal for potential business owners.

Delaware is known for its business-friendly tax structure. About 68% of all Fortune 500 companies were incorporated in Delaware as of 2022, according to the state’s Division of Corporations.

More recently, the Economic Innovation Group found that as of 2023, a “startup surge” in new businesses has been led by “two clear belts of states in the Mountain West and Southeast.” For places like Wyoming and Delaware, EIG attributes the surge in applications partly to favorable state corporate laws.

Advertisement

“The startup suge is both powered and shaped by numerous local forces and policies that will affect its long-term economic impact on communities, as well,” EIG found.

And so, if you’re looking for a small business to frequent — or have an idea you want to make a reality — you too might want to head West.

Are you a new small-business owner in Wyoming, Delaware, or Montana? Contact these reporters at jtowfighi@businessinsider.com and jkaplan@businessinsider.com.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Wyoming

Landspout Spotted in Southeast Wyoming Amid Severe Storm Watch

Published

on

Landspout Spotted in Southeast Wyoming Amid Severe Storm Watch


A landspout was spotted in southeast Wyoming on Thursday, June 20, as severe weather moved across the region. This footage was captured by X user @Wx_Intercepts, who said they filmed it near Hawk Springs late Thursday afternoon. A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota until Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Credit: @Wx_Intercepts via Storyful



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending