JEFF GEARINO Southwest Wyoming bureau | Posted: Monday, January 13, 2003 12:00 am
GREEN RIVER - The prolonged drought in Wyoming continues to take its toll on the state's wildlife, habitat and fisheries, and is costing the Game and Fish Department millions of dollars in lost revenues, agency directors say in a just-published annual report.
The department faced no bigger wildlife issue than the continuing drought during 2002, acting director Tom Thorne said in the report's summary.
The drought has left much of Wyoming's important wildlife habitat in poor shape, which will take several good years of rain and forage growth to rebound, officials said.
It has also claimed about 400,000 deer and antelope during the past four years, which has resulted in the loss of about $4 million to $6 million in license revenues during that time period, the report said.
"Without question, the most significant and most potentially devastating event of the past year is the ongoing drought," Thorne wrote.
"It has been a long, hot, dry summer again in much of Wyoming … and the impacts to the state's fish and wildlife resources and tourism industry were significant, costly, and likely will continue to be felt long after the rains come again," Thorne said. "The impacts of the drought cannot be overstated."
The department's annual report covers the period of July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002.
Thorne said 2002 marked the third year of an extended drought throughout much of Wyoming that is having a long-term impact on wildlife habitat.
He said the department annually monitors shrub and forage production on important habitats in Wyoming. Although the 2002 measurements are not yet completed, forage production and habitat conditions overall remain relatively poor and vegetative growth is spotty and varied.
Thorne said current symptoms of drought affecting wildlife include stressed plants, soil moisture deficits, dwindling snow pack, low streams and dried-up reservoirs. Additionally, many wetlands are completely dry and others partially dry.
The agency noted 16 areas around the state of particular concern, including along the northern edge of the Laramie Range between Casper and Douglas, the north and eastern areas of the National Grasslands and areas near Cokeville and on the Big Piney front.
The report noted that the production of fawns by deer and antelope was extremely low in 2001 and was expected to be as low or lower in 2002 due to the drought. The low production of fawns is most alarming in herds like the Sublette antelope herd and deer herds like Baggs, Beaver Rim and South Converse that have had a history of high production, Thorne said.
He said the drought also resulted in the loss of some reservoir fisheries in the state such as southeastern Wyoming's Diamond and Alsop Lakes and northwestern Wyoming's Upper and Lower Sunshine Reservoirs.
Thorne noted that many boat ramps were out of the water this summer, which reduced both boat angling and general water-based recreation opportunities.
"Loss of revenue from (fishing) license fees is both immediate and longer term, since it takes that long to restore lost sport fisheries following resumption of heavier precipitation events," he said.
"There's a corresponding loss in recreational opportunities, declining license revenues for our agency and a significant reduction to the state's economy," he said.
Thorne said the agency best assessment includes the loss of upwards of 100,000 deer and antelope annually to the drought each of the past four years.
He said there's been a corresponding reduction of approximately 40,000 to 50,000 licenses each year for the two species, resulting in a $4 million to $6 million loss in license revenue and 250,000-300,000 lost recreation days per year.
Deer and antelope are currently the only wildlife species in the state that generate positive income to the department and therefore, support all other department programs.
The report estimated lost expenditures by hunters in the state for such things as fuel, equipment, food, lodging, entertainment and outfitting and guiding services resulted in losses to Wyoming businesses of $65 million to $75 million annually.
The report said on the aquatic side, fishing license revenue declined by more than $700,000 in 2001. Losses for 2002 won't be known until the end of the current calendar year, but will most assuredly be greater than 2001.
Thorne said the agency made no more important move this year than securing the legislative support for a proposed 20 percent increase in most hunting and fishing licenses, beginning in 2004.
The across-the-board license fee increase - and two other draft bills being sponsored by the Legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee - would increase the agency's budget by more than $6 million, or about 14 percent.
Hunting and fishing license fees have not been increased since 1997 and Thorne said the increased revenues would roughly cover the cost of inflation during that seven-year span.