(Fort Washakie, Wyo.) – When Terry Roberts and Sheryl Pandoah from the Eastern Shoshone 477 Program decided to develop a gardening project for their clientele, they reached out to Centsible Nutrition, a program of the University of Wyoming Extension which has an office in Fort Washakie.

The two family outreach facilitators also garnered help from the local SNAP-Ed program, the federal food stamps service.

“In 2017, we started planning for this garden, so it took us a whole year to plan,” Roberts said. “We called it ‘The 477 Gardening Project.’”

Roberts, the family outreach assistant, was sure Centsible Nutrition would help unroll this idea since both programs have already established a working relationship. They’ve been collaboratively helping clients learn about basic nutrition to live healthy lives. The 477 Program reached out to Kelly Pingree, the nutrition educator at Centsible Nutrition.

Pandoah, the family outreach coordinator talked to Pingree about some of their ideas and plans developed so far. Pingree became aware that UW was donating three hoop houses to different gardening projects in the state so she requested a hoop house on behalf of the 477 Gardening Project.

“I knew that the competition to get one was high, but I felt that this hoop house would be the jewel of the garden, and would really help out the families that struggle with food insecurity here on the Wind River Indian Reservation,” Pingree said.

By March of 2018, Pingree finally heard from Jeff Edwards out of UW Extension who told her the 477 Program was chosen to receive a hoop house.

“I was so happy, I just could not believe it,” Pingree said.

By this time, the 477 Program had set aside space and a few items for use in the project. The 477 Program initially began by looking for 20 families to take part in this project.

“We were hoping for 20 families, and so far we have 12 families, but that is still a good start,” Roberts said. “We started by planting seedlings in order to get a head start in the growing process.”

By the end of May 2018 the raised garden beds were built and planted and the work culminated on June 12.

“Plants were everywhere in the UW extension kitchen. It was great.” Pingree said.  “Even with the completion of the beds and hoop house, I think this is just the beginning stage on this project as a whole. As of right now we have sixteen garden beds, eight inside the hoop house and eight outside. And it is beautiful, I would love to see it grow.”

The 12 families that signed up to be part of the garden now call themselves The 477 Gardening Club, Roberts said.

“Everyone really worked their tails off to get this done,” he said.

Edwards and his team of volunteers: Steven Telck, Ted Graig and Colman Griffith, brought their expertise and talent to assist in building the hoop house.

“Everyone just did a great job in getting this together,” Roberts said.

For Pingree, this was a good way to see what was accomplished and how it succeeded with “all the pieces in place.”

“I see great things to come with this project, because the shared goal here is to get more of the 477 clientele, and their families on the reservation involved,” she said. “The shared vision is to have the project grow and expand every year to where it becomes not just for 477 clients but for the whole community to take part.”

This project offers opportunities for the 477 clients as well as the community to learn about gardening, care taking, food education, and eating healthier, Pingree explained.

(Rawlins, Wyo.) – Due to dry conditions and high fire danger, the Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office is implementing fire restrictions for all BLM-administered public lands within the boundaries of Albany County South of Highway 34, beginning July 6^th, 2018. The BLM urges visitors to these public lands to adhere to the restrictions, in order to aid firefighters and help keep the lands healthy and productive.

Under fire restrictions the following acts are prohibited:

• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire except within agency-provided fire grates at developed recreation sites, or within fully enclosed stoves with a ¼” spark arrester type screen, or within fully enclosed grills, or in stoves using pressurized liquid or gas.
• Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
• Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and working, a chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.
• Using a welder, either arc or gas, or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame, except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter with a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity.

These fire restrictions are in addition to the year-round wildfire prevention restrictions on BLM-administered public lands in Wyoming. These are:

• Discharge or use of any fireworks.
• Discharge of a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.
• Burn, ignite or cause to burn any tire, wire, magnesium, or any other hazardous or explosive material.
• Operate any off-road vehicle on public lands unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester pursuant to 43 CFR 8343.1 (c).

The following persons are exempt from this order:

1. Persons with a permit or letter of authorization specifically authorizing the prohibited act or omission.
2. Any federal, state, or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.

(Fremont County, Wyo.) – Here is the report of the most recent arrests around the County from local enforcement agencies. All persons arrested or cited are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law. Charges are subject to change following official filing from the Fremont County Attorney’s Office.

Fremont County Sheriff’s Office

The following arrests occurred Thursday, July 5

No arrests reported Thursday

Riverton Police Department 

The following arrests occurred Thursday, July 5

Schooner, Kenneth, 25, Riverton, Child Endangerment

Miller, Tracy, 23, Dubois, Child Endangerment

Shakespeare, Kenneth, 32, Arapahoe, Public Intoxication

Perez, Devan, 27, Ethete, Fremont County Warrant

Lander Police Department

The following arrests occurred Thursday, July 5

Whitewolf, Joshua Bryson, 28, Lander, Fremont County Warrants

The first weekend of July is here and there are several fun things to see and do across County 10.

Friday, July 6:

1838 Rendezvous

July 5, 2018 – July 7, 2018
1838 Rendezvous Site, S Smith Rd, Riverton, WY 82501, USA

Early risers in Riverton Friday morning may have caught a glimpse of the Cloud Kisser hot air balloon.

Calm winds and temperatures in the low 60’s made for optimal flying conditions. The Cloud Kisser will be part of the 38th annual Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally held July 20-22. Friday, July 20th a few balloons will ascend for “media day” flights, and the mass ascensions will take place Saturday and Sunday morning.

Rendezvous festivities this year begin July 14th with Day in the Park.

Friday and Saturday are projected to be two of the hottest days all summer across Wyoming, with many places seeing temperatures in the upper 90’s to low 100’s.

Riverton and Lander’s projected high’s are just a shade under the all-time high’s for July 6th and July 7th. Casper, Greybull, and Worland are all expected to see temperatures in the triple digits according to the National Weather Service office in Riverton.

Dubois is projecting a high temperature of 84 degrees both Friday and Saturday. Their all-time high for July 6th is 89 degrees and for July 7th is 90 degrees.

(Dubois, Wyo.) – Recreationists in the Upper East Fork area of Dubois will be pleased to learn that fish passage and road access are being improved in the Alkali Creek area, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Construction will begin after July 4 on the East Fork Road, about 17 miles from the junction with Hwy 26.  The road will remain open during construction, but will be reduced to one lane and may be tight for vehicles hauling large trailers.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department in cooperation with Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Water for Wildlife, and Fremont County Transportation are working together to fund the work this summer. The project will improve access to public land, increase road safety and longevity, allow for better stream function, and improve fish passage in spawning habitat for a genetically pure population of Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

“This project will have a huge impact on the area. For the fish alone, once the project is complete, approximately four to six miles of seasonal and spawning habitat will be reconnected,” says Nick Scribner, fish passage coordinator.

Nick continues, “Installing a longer culvert and a rock weir will widen the road crossing, reducing slope on the roadway and will accommodate flood events better. This road often gets overtopped by water during spring thunderstorms. We should be able to prevent that in the future and maintain a naturally functioning channel.”

Construction is expected to be completed by August 15. For more information on the Alkali Creek culvert replacement contact Nick Scribner at nick.scribner@wyo.gov.

-WGFD

(Atlantic City, Wyo.) – The 150th anniversary of Atlantic City, Wyoming, is on tap today, July 5, and tomorrow, July 6. See the schedule below.

The Atlantic City Historical Society celebrated the anniversary this past winter with the publication of both a contemporary review and a history of the gold mining town in a commemorative book.

(Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.) – For many years, Mark Haroldson lived as an old-western cowboy — riding a horse across the rugged landscape of Wyoming and Montana. But instead of wrangling cattle, he tracked and captured grizzly bears.

What started as a work study job when he was 20 years old developed into a lifelong career of studying grizzlies. “It’s been a dream of mine as far back as I can remember,” said Mark.

Since he first started working with grizzly bears in 1976, Mark has served as a field biologist for USGS, responsible for the handling and capture of bears throughout Yellowstone National Park. He currently spearheads the Interagency Grizzly Bear Team, a group of scientists responsible for long-term monitoring of the species. Mark will also be honored with the Distinguished Service Award for his impactful work and lifelong dedication to grizzly bear research.

Each time Mark captures a bear, he tries to obtain all the scientific information possible to “do right by the bear.” He first drugs the animal, takes fur samples for DNA and isotopic analysis, and marks it with a GPS collar — all of which help to derive survival estimates and population projections.

He then opens the bear’s maw and reaches between its massive teeth to pull out a small premolar in the back, which typically falls out naturally over time. By analyzing this single tooth, scientists can determine the bear’s age.

The sight of a bear’s open jaws would terrify most, but Mark works with calm and steady hands. “I’m anxious until I know the bear is ok and up and out of there.”

Only then does he feel a sense of accomplishment.

Mark’s work was integral in reviving the grizzly bear population and bringing them off the endangered species list, which he views as a team accomplishment. While the grizzly’s recovery has had tremendous impact, he continues to work towards long-term conservation of the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Given the chance, he wouldn’t trade anything for the field time he had in the Yellowstone backcountry. “It was the sense of being in the wilderness on horseback,” said Mark “My boss would point to an area on the map and say go find some bears.”

Like a cowboy rambling across the Wild West, Mark continues to explore America’s great wilderness, still chasing the wild and magnificent North American grizzly bear.

–US Dept. of the Interior

CASPER – “Just one more cast, please,” Chris Castleman pleaded several times the evening of June 7. Since his dad relented, it might be fitting to give him an assist for the new Wyoming green sunfish state record his 14-year-old son now holds.

On the very last of the “just one more” casts, Chris hooked a nice fish on his worm and bobber. He and his dad, Allen, knew the fish was much bigger than the panfish they’d been catching the evening of June 7 at Bryan Stock Trail Pond in Casper and thought it might even be a nice bass.  Landing it surprisingly revealed the same species of panfish they’d been catching.

“But just about four times bigger,” Allen said.

Other anglers at the pond suspected the fish was something special and encouraged the duo “to get it checked out.” That not only included weight — but also species. Neither the Castlemans nor their fellow anglers knew if it was a bluegill, green sunfish or pumpkinseed.

Sportsman’s Warehouse didn’t know either, but the father and son were further encouraged by an employee there declaring, “That’s the biggest panfish I’ve ever seen.”

The next morning Ridley’s Market generously weighed the fish on their certified scale – 1 pound, 4 ounces. At the Casper Wyoming Game and Fish Department Office, the fish measured – 12.25 inches long and 11-inch girth – was officially identified as a green sunfish by Fisheries Supervisor Matt Hahn, the state record form was filled out and a new record was on the books.

The fish resoundingly beat the former state record caught at the Lovell Ponds in July 2010 by nearly 6 ounces. The world record weighed 2 pound, 2 ounces and was caught in Stockton Lake near Springfield, Missouri in June 1971.

“This was a one in a thousand, maybe even one in 10,000 fish,” Hahn said about the frequency of a fish this size in the Wyoming green sunfish population.

The green sunfish is native to middle America from the Great Lakes to Texas and as far west as Nebraska. It was introduced to Wyoming primarily as forage for bass, but also because it generally cooperates with warm-water anglers.

A state record was the last thing on Chris’ mind that evening, but he was in pursuit of an angling goal: the “Pan Pair Challenge” for young anglers. By catching two of Wyoming’s panfish species, anglers receive a color certificate from the Game and Fish. There are six other youth angling challenges ranging from catching native fish to Wyoming’s most unique game fish.  Check out the “Wyoming Youth Fish Challenge” on the Game and Fish website for more information.

Reflecting his zeal for angling, Chris says, “I hope to get all the (fish) challenges in time.”

“Catching a state record was terrific,” the eighth grader-to-be added. “One of the best things was being with my dad when it happened.”

Having his state record fish mounted and on the wall will also help him remember the experience.

–WGFD