The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce
by Albert Sommers, House District #20 Representative
June 16, 2021
Hello Sublette County, this is Albert Sommers reporting to you from the interim of the Wyoming Legislature. On June 16 and 17, I am in Casper for meetings of the Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce. Two legislators from each chamber were chosen by the presiding officers of their respective chambers to participate in the taskforce. Speaker of the House Eric Barlow selected Representative Jamie Flitner and myself to represent the House. Rep Jamie Flitner is House Chairwoman of the Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee, and resides in the Big Horn Basin. I was selected to represent western Wyoming, which has great wildlife resources and a variety of challenges that revolve around wildlife. Senate President Dan Dockstader appointed Senator Ogden Driskill from northeast Wyoming and Senator Larry Hicks from south central Wyoming.
The Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce was convened by Gov. Mark Gordon, Wyoming legislative leadership and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. The taskforce will study top-priority wildlife policy issues facing the state related to the allocation of hunting opportunity, sportsperson access and other issues. At the June 16-17 meeting, topics will be identified by taskforce members for study over an 18-month period with the goal of presenting conclusions and recommendations to the Wyoming Legislature, Game and Fish Commission, and Governor.
The Task Force consists of the following members:
Tony Lehner – Converse County Commissioner, landowner
Duaine Hagen – Park County landowner
Representative Jamie Flitner – Big Horn County
Representative Albert Sommers – Sublette County
Adam Teten – Johnson County sportsman
Joe Schaffer – - Laramie County sportsman, President of Laramie County Community College
Rusty Bell – Campbell County Commissioner, taxidermist, sportsman
Sy Gilliland – President of Wyoming Outfitter and Guides Association
Elissa Ruckle – Owner of Elevate Wyoming
Senator Ogden Driskill – Crook County
Senator Larry Hicks – Carbon County
Liisa Anselmi-Dalton – Sweetwater County hotel owner
Jen Scoggin – Director, Office of State Lands and Investments
Lee Livingston – Park County Commissioner
Josh Coursey – Muley Fanatics Foundation, Sweetwater County
Pat Crank – Laramie County sportsman, outgoing Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner
Pete Dube – Johnson County, President of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
Brian Nesvik – Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Over the next 18 months, the idea is to discuss and try to resolve the really tough issues surrounding wildlife, outfitting, hunting, and sportspersons’ access issues. During this process, I will raise issues that include the increase in guided float fishing on Wyoming’s rivers, youth hunter opportunity for bighorn sheep and moose, once-in-a-lifetime licenses for bighorn sheep and bull moose, increased elk populations in the Black Hills, and other topics that YOU, my constituents, might send me. I can be reached at albert@albertsommers.com with questions or comments.
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