Wyoming Wilderness Association

In 2024, wwa had over 200 participants on 25 total different outings across the state. Outings led participants into an incredible array of landscapes boasting ecological diversity, wildlife migration corridors, and not your average rock and ice potential wilderness. In addition, over 75 total students went on 10 various outdoor adventures through participation in one of the three sheridan county high school outdoor clubs. In addition, wwa provided three public land educational classes with sheridan high school to a total of 40 students. Other outreach events included: five live backcountry film festivals across the state and another year of hosting banff mountain film festival in sheridan.

In 2024, wwa continued to elevate the stewardship pillar of our mission. Wwa was able to involve upwards of 90 volunteers and over 1,300 volunteer hours which allowed us to: conduct solitude monitoring projects in four designated wilderness areas, promote youth advocacy, conduct user created trail inventories in 10 specific areas in the cloud peak wilderness and remove 4.5 miles of downed barbwired fence on forest and blm wilderness study area land. Training protocols for solitude monitoring and user created trail inventories were provided through eight collaborative forest service and wwa led trainings.

In 2024, wwa continued to elevate the education pillar of our mission. Wwa provided 14 wilderness educational and outreach events. Wwa helped maintain three outdoor clubs at local high schools with a focus on education, stewardship, and outdoor recreation. The program is being led by high school teachers and has upwards of 100+ students involved in exploring their backyard: the bighorn national forest. Around 80% of the participants are experiencing some of these outdoor activities (i.e. Climbing, mountain biking, skiing, fly fishing) for the first time. Wwa is proud to help support an effort to get our youth connected with the outdoors, which will hopefully create wildland advocates in the future.wwa provided six live film festivals to educate around conservation initiatives and outdoor adventure: over 360 participants at the sheridan banff centre mountain film festival, 100+ participants at the sheridan backcountry film festival, and over 200+ participants at the laramie, lander, and pinedale backcountry film festival. In 2024, wwa continued to serve and fill leadership roles on collaborative, decision-making committees and boards around the state: bridger-teton working group, home for all working group, the rock springs rmp governors task force, kip it public wyoming coalition, and the sheridan county agriculture/natural resources/public lands committee. Wwa educates committee members and our supporters around public land management and proposed legislation. Public comment was gathered from wwa emailing alerts, notices, comment portals, and public meeting updates.additionally, wwa hosted and/or attended multiple virtual and live public meetings, presentations, and workshops to inform the public and encourage personalized comments around large-scale plans, such as the rock springs resource management plan and shoshone travel management plan. Many constituents find value in these wild landscapes, and wwa informs the public on how to stay engaged and have their voice heard.wwa continued to advocate for wilderness study areas and designated wilderness by traveling to dc twice in 2024, initiating 18 meetings with congressional leaders and staff, joining 24 partners and 62 individuals to promote and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the wilderness act. Wwa continued to make great strides in 2024 around collaboration, communication, and relationship building with various stakeholders, with a continued emphasis on tribal engagement, federal agencies, and conservation groups also working in these landscapes. Partnership efforts included: stewardship projects, several film screening events, outdoor recreational outings, 40th anniversary of the wyoming wilderness act celebrations and initiatives, informational events, youth engagement, land management meetings, and the opportunity to serve on various panels and present during conservation and wilderness conferences.