Dec. 2021 - 8

NEWS
Game and Fish recognizes two
teams for work efforts
CHEYENNE - Two Wyoming Game
and Fish Department teams were honored
recently for their special efforts on behalf of
wildlife and sportspeople. Game and Fish
recognized members of the Wyoming Chronic
Wasting Disease Management Plan team and
the Access Yes technical support group with
the Team of the Year award. Game and Fish
Director Brian Nesvik made the announcement
to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
at a September meeting in Douglas.
Game and Fish's senior leadership received
nominations of teams whose work goes above
and beyond Game and Fish's mission statement
of conserving wildlife, serving people.
CWD is one of the most concerning wildlife
diseases in Wyoming and the West. CWD
is a fatal, neurological illness that occurs in
deer, elk and moose. No treatments or vaccines
are currently available. Game and Fish released
its CWD management plan in July 2020.
" This team went to work and developed a
management plan that outlines different surveillance
strategies, different ways to manage
the disease and ways to communicate with the
public, " Nesvik said. " They did it brilliantly.
They put together and worked with a large
group of publics to do this. Some of this work
was very controversial, and they masterfully
moved through the process. "
Members of the team include: Brad Hovinga,
Greg Anderson, Corey Class, Justin Binfet,
Bart Kroger, Janet Milek, Justin Dodd,
Hank Edwards, Chris Baird, Dr. Mary Wood,
Lee Knox, Dr. Samantha Allen, Scott Edberg
and Jordan Kraft.
Nesvik touted the work of the Access Yes
technical support team that made the program's
application process more efficient for
hunter management area permission slips,
renewal of Access Yes agreements and new
mapping functions to help regional access
8 | December 2021
The CWD management team, from left to right, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik, Brad Hovinga,
Hank Edwards, Scott Edberg, Justin Binfet, Janet Milek and Game and Fish Commission President Pete Dube. Not pictured
include Greg Anderson, Corey Class, Bart Kroger, Justin Dodd, Chris Baird, Dr. Mary Wood, Lee Knox, Dr. Samantha Allen and
Jordan Kraft. (WGFD photo)
The Access Yes technical support team, from left to right, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik, Laura
Survis, Cathy Weese, Robin Ahrndt, Tom Graham and Game and Fish Commission President Pete Dube. Not pictured is Denise
Jensen. (Photo by Janet Milek/WGFD)
coordinators around the state.
" All of this is very complex, not only from
an information technology standpoint but
from a budgeting standpoint, " Nesvik said.
" There were a lot of complexities to work
through with laws and getting everything
legally correct. Because of their work our
folks are able to provide the sportsmen and
sportswomen of Wyoming more opportunities
and more access. "
Members of the Access Yes technical support
team include: Robin Ahrndt, Tom Graham,
Denise Jensen, Laura Survis and Cathy Weese.
- Robert Gagliardi, WGFD

Dec. 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dec. 2021