WLCI Executive Committee Selects Leadership
by Bureau of Land Management
April 16, 2008
The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) Executive Committee installed a chairman and two vice chairmen at its meeting on April 9, 2008. John Etchepare, director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture was selected as the WLCI chairman. Sublette County Commissioner John Linn and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wyoming Field Supervisor Brian Kelly were respectively chosen as first vice chair and second vice chair.
The committee agreed that the three leadership positions would represent local, state and federal membership of the executives. Each position will be held one year, with an annual rotation. The first vice chair is the chair elect and the second vice chair is the first vice chair elect.
At the meeting, the U.S. Geological Survey presented outcomes from a workshop held in March on how to compile and use existing information about wildlife and land use in southwestern Wyoming. The USGS displayed several of its preliminary maps, which provide a prototype for future decision making tools. The Executive Committee also discussed developing a mechanism to accept non-government contributions for WLCI conservation and science.
The WLCI Executive Committee comprises representatives from the USFWS, USGS, U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, BLM, county commissioners and conservation districts.
The concept for the WLCI began less than two years ago. A field Coordination Team led by WLCI Coordinator Renee Dana manages the daily activities. The Coordination Team is currently working on developing a more detailed strategic plan for the WLCI, distributing funds for projects that will be implemented in Fiscal Year 2008, and developing work that will occur in future years. Funding for WLCI efforts in 2008 includes $1.25 million for BLM, $1.5 million for USGS, and $1.5 million for USFWS.
The WLCI is a long-term science-based effort to assess and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats at a landscape scale in Southwest Wyoming, while facilitating responsible development. More information on the WLCI, including a newsletter, can be found at: http://www.wlci.gov.
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