October 2024 - 2

FROM THE
DIRECTOR
Ready to lead Game and Fish
Wyoming has the most abundant sage-grouse population in the United States. (Photo by Chris Martin/WGFD)
By Angi Bruce
I
n September I stepped into
the role as the Director of
the Wyoming Game and
Fish Department. Taking on the
role of director presents significant
challenges, but there are three
primary reasons that inspired me to
take on this endeavor.
Above all, the 400 employees who make
up this agency are incredible. They are
dedicated, passionate, talented and extremely
knowledgeable. They truly care about what
they do and are committed to managing
Wyoming's fish and wildlife resources. They
did not get into this field for financial motives.
They did it for the ability to make an impact
and ensure future generations can enjoy and
experience our state's wildlife. Over the last
few months, I had an opportunity to get to
2 | October 2024
know them better, and representing them is
an honor I take very seriously. It is critical to
our agency's mission that our state's wildlife
managers have the resources they need to
conduct sound science, provide enforcement
and manage wildlife.
The fish and wildlife resources we have in
Wyoming are world-renowned. Residents
and visitors alike praise our blue-ribbon
trout fisheries and are in constant awe that
we hold the longest, intact big game migration
corridor. We are proud to say we have the most
abundant sage-grouse and native bighorn
sheep populations in the United States. These
natural resources and our wide-open spaces
are symbols of the West. It is essential that
we maintain these healthy populations and
do so under state management. Focusing our
work to build resilient habitats will be critical
in the coming years.
Wyoming would not be the same without its
wildlife. The people of Wyoming understand
this and are invested in their future. The public's
passion is clear and they place a high value on
the importance of wildlife in our lives and the
state's economy. You see this in their support
for wildlife crossings, concerns from effects
of bad winters on mule deer and prioritizing
funding for invasive annual grasses. There also
is a strong desire to have a place at the table and
be involved in complex issues, such as license
allocations and sage-grouse policy. The desire
to be involved is extraordinary and betters
Wyoming. Solutions developed collectively
lead to long-standing, supportive outcomes.
Given the escalating challenges confronting
Wyoming's wildlife, a unified approach will
be more important than ever.
The opportunity to work with Wyoming's
wildlife, lead department staff and work
alongside stakeholders and the public was
a job I could not pass up. Working through
the challenges ahead to find solutions that
maintain and protect our wildlife in a way the
public desires to see is a challenge I accept. The
people have entrusted wildlife management
and protection to the department. It will take
all of us to continue this legacy.

October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2024