GREEN RIVER -- The little-known Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Refuge lies along a scenic 20-mile stretch within the Bear River Valley in western Wyoming just south of Cokeville.

Since its establishment in Lincoln County nearly two decades ago as a haven for migratory birds and riparian/wetland habitat, the state's newest refuge has not been open to public use.

There are currently no visitor facilities located at Cokeville Meadows, which encompasses just 8,106 acres within the approximately 26,000-acre approved acquisition boundary for the refuge.

And with a limited staff, the refuge has been managed in recent years as a satellite of the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, located about 70 miles east in adjacent Sweetwater County.

All that's about to change.

A new management plan being developed by federal officials may open the refuge to a variety of public uses -- including hunting and fishing -- and could lead to the refuge growing in size in the coming years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is crafting a new Comprehensive Conservation Plan -- and an accompanying Hunting Plan -- for the 16-year-old Cokeville Meadows refuge, which begins about a mile south of Cokeville.

Agency spokesman Carl Millegan said the new plan will guide the future management decisions and set forth the goals, objectives and strategies needed to implement those decisions.

He said the agency hopes to complete the management plan for the refuge over the next two years.

The Service has scheduled public meetings in Cokeville and Kemmerer this month to gather input to begin the development of the new plan.

Nesting waterfowl

Early explorers first came to the Bear River region in the early 1800s, spurred by the fur-trapping trade that ran from 1824-1840.

Most emigrants over the next few decades passed through the valley on their way along the Oregon Trail. True settlement of the area did not begin until after the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 and came largely upon an eastward influx of Mormon settlers, who began ranching in the area.

The Cokeville Meadows refuge was established by act of congress in 1993 for the purposes of providing sanctuary for migratory birds, and for the conservation of riparian and wetland habitats and the public benefits they provide to the region.

Cokeville Meadows supports one of the highest densities of nesting waterfowl in Wyoming and some of the best nesting habitat in the state, according to USFWS data.

The refuge contains a mosaic of wet meadows and cattail/bulrush sloughs, which provides nesting habitat for at least 32 water bird species, including sandhill cranes, white-faced ibis, black terns, and a variety of marsh and shorebirds.

The refuge is also home to sage grouse, which nest in the upland sagebrush areas, and big game species such as elk, mule deer and antelope.

While the approved acquisition boundary for the refuge totals 26,657 acres, only 8,106 acres have been purchased or protected through conservation easements to date. Land acquisition is ongoing from willing sellers only.

The public planning process under way may open refuge lands to a variety of public uses, including wildlife viewing, interpretation, fishing, hunting, environmental education and photography, according to Millegan.

He said some of the activities, however, may be contingent on the acquisition of additional lands so the public has clear boundaries on which to recreate without infringing on adjacent private lands.

Milligen said the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 requires that all refuges be managed in accordance with an USFWS-approved Comprehensive Conservation Plan.

Wetland system

Two primary diversion dams on the Bear River irrigate vast areas of the refuge each year, supporting the growth of meadow hay.

The wetlands associated with the Bear River are both natural and man-made.

The natural wetlands flood with high water in the spring, but many of the wetlands that persist after the runoff are the result of irrigation systems built in the 1930s and 1940s.

Hay is cut by local ranchers in August and portions of the refuge are grazed in the fall and winter.

Area ranchers work with refuge managers on irrigation construction, weed control, tract cleanup, fence maintenance and other projects.

Ranchers also provide food plots for wildlife and selective haying and grazing. In exchange, local ranchers receive hay, crop and grazing shares.

Contact southwest Wyoming bureau reporter Jeff Gearino at 307-875-5359 or gearino@tribcsp.com