Fremont County WPLI Site Visit Minutes FINAL

July 8, 2017 | 8:00 a.m. | Sweetwater Rocks Complex | Notetaker: Cindy Thompson

Advisory Committee: Public: Cindy Thompson, Ellen Fox, Lloyd Larsen, Doug Thompson, Nick Dobric, Josh Milek, Rick Dick Loper, Aline Phillips, Jack Welsh, Forrest Mickelsen, Gary Horton, Ginger Bennett, Reg Chadwick, Lois Herbst, John Lawson, Laurie Phillips, Longtine, Karen Snyder, Jessi Johnson, Steff Not present: Andy Blair, Julia Stuble & Travis Kessler, Sharon Bryant, Ginny Warren, Craig Becker Bromley, Lonny Pace, David Lloyd, Stan Harter, Scott Larimor, Nance Irene Natrona County Commissioner, Rob Hendry Agency: Jared Oakleaf (BLM),

Jared Oakleaf gave an overview of Granite Mountain Range. It was a mega mountain range. WSA’s interface with private lands in this area. Beef Gap is a corridor for pipelines between the Miller Gap WSA and the Split Rock WSA. Beef Gap is now closed to any more oil and gas pipelines. Steff Kessler stated NOLS has a base camp at the base of Split Rock. Wildlife uses water seeps. Jared stated to access to WSA’s is available from public land but is difficult. Easier to go through private land with permission. Uses: spring & fall climbing and hunting. Ellen Fox asked what are the sizes of the WSA’s. Jared said he would report on that later. Ginger asked what the Latter Day Saints Church uses the complex for and its limitations? David Lloyd was present to contribute for the LDS Church. They are not religiously significant and the WSA’s do not affect church uses. Dick Loper asked if there were any mining claims? Jared answered no. Nick asked about public road access? Jared answered roads are not true BLM roads. From highway to ranch there were no easements. Nick asked what was hunted in the area? Stan Harter stated that deer hunting mainly and some elk and antelope. There are a few hundred hunters in hunting area 97. They camp in pockets. Deer in winter are not in the rocks, around 150 elk, antelope are minimal in WSA’s. There are a few sage grouse leks. They are going to put GPS collars on deer in the fall for more information. Lloyd Larsen asked if there were any other managed species? Stan stated no, not in the WSA’s. Lloyd asked how wide is the corridor and how many utilities? Jared was unsure. The state is looking at establishing another corridor (or pipeline) for CO2 for drilling. It would have no WSA impact. Reg Phillips asked are there any cultural sites in the WSA’s? Craig Bromley stated rock coves will have some that are not documented. May have some prehistoric pit houses. Rob Hendry asked why closed for any more pipelines if there are no cultural sites? Corridor pipelines are running out of room through gap. Ginger asked are there pipelines in WSA’s? Craig stated no just construction activity. Piggy backing pipelines didn’t work. Josh Milek reminded everyone that there are site visit forms at fcpli.com for questions and comments. Stan asked if it is designated wilderness does that affect water development? As a WSA it allows for water development if it doesn’t impact negatively affect or impair the WSA. There are a few mountain lions harvest and trapped. There are no wild horse herds in the WSA’s. Rick Mickelsen stated there are three pipelines- Anadarko, a CO2, CIG, a natural gas line and Holly, a crude oil line. Reg asked what is the livestock use here? Jared stated the Split Rock Ranch uses it for winter grazing and calving. Reg asked what was the Split Rock WSA boundaries? Jared said the road divides the WSA’s. Ginger asked the Natrona County Commission: There is a lot of private land around the WSA. Can it be developed? Rob stated the land use plan precluded development. David stated private/public mix doesn’t hinder climbing. Ginger asked if there was a school section on the north? No. Dick stated if you designated wilderness it will promote use. David stated if private public mix keeps use more localized. Ellen stated the private land owner protects the wilderness. Stan stated the west end of Lankin Dome WSA has a walk-in area for 9A ranch. Jared stated Savage Peak is adjacent to Martin’s Cove. Steff asked how deep is the Granite substructure? Lloyd stated it went 150 feet and didn’t get through it in Miller Pocket-Split Rock WSA. Craig stated John Miller from Rawlins built cabin in 1913. Raised horses for WWI. Part of Moonstone is owned by Ellen Fox and access is through her. Ellen stated the private land here is leased to the Anderson’s for summer grazing May to fall. The well is pipelined and run by generators. Jared stated NOLS uses Miller’s Pocket. Dick spoke on area vegetation. Black root for wildlife and livestock. There are several different kinds of sage, needle and thread grass, wheatgrass, and Indian ricegrass. Pipelines seed a non-native mix of grass. Cheatgrass takes advantage of warming trends. Page 2 Stan stated cheatgrass is mainly on road edges but doesn't seem to be spreading. Gum weed in not good food. Jared stated the Granite Rocks are considered out of service area for grazing (cows don’t go up there). Ellen stated the Cross L ranch is directly across from Miller Pocket and pointed out Teapot and Sugar bowl Rocks. Dick stated he liked BLM rangeland health ratings opposed to condition ratings. Doug Thompson stated Ellen says this country snows in, when it does there is no grazing and wildlife move to the river meadows. Fences and water distributes the livestock. Stan stated because it is suitable habitat. Ag uses are de minimis practices in core areas. And asked if water available to wildlife when wells are shut off? Dick stated there are costs to keeping water on. Perhaps more cooperative partnership on water projects. Stan suggested or more alternative designs. Dick stated perhaps pipelines with trickle tubes during the critical post hatch period. Nick asked Ellen how the WSA has affected her livestock operation? Ellen answered that she allowed access to WSA’s and they don’t affect grazing. Big issues are traffic and fire. I hope the designation allows us to keep ranching. Rob stated the federal lands and federal policies around Jackson are pressuring landowners to sell. Jack and Stan stated the amount of private land around kept it from 1991 Wilderness Designation and from being promoted as a world class rock climbing area. “Wilderness” attracts people. Lloyd asked how we can adopt a public policy to keep it under wraps? Ellen stated access is controlled by landowners. It is the only leverage ranches have. I don’t want to police the place. NOLS has been very respectful. Lois asked why did Bill McIntosh allow NOLS to climb Lankin Dome? Then stated he didn’t want NOLS as enemies. Rob stated older owners allow access to such places but when sold the new owners lock up access. Ellen stated the Split Rock Ranch denies access so it increases traffic on other accesses. Stan stated Wilderness designation makes non-resident hunters use licensed guides. Lloyd asked how do you justify keeping the rocks a secret? Jared stated its not a secret but is controlled by not putting it on maps, brochures, websites so it is local but not promoted. Lloyd stated it appears to make it exclusive. Ginger asked how are we assuring the general public (not groups) has access and aren’t being excluded? Jared stated Ellen controls access. Steff stated it is not the objective to exclude use or make use easy, Congress has tools to protect but not to promote. Page 3 Doug stated the process is the committee looks at the WSA’s uses going on, continued, enhanced or restricted, and come up with recommendations to take to the Natrona and Fremont County Commissioners and that will be part of a Wyoming Lands bill in Congress. Ginger asked how will it be preserved for future generations? How do we keep a gentlemen’s agreement in place? To Lloyd’s question about core areas. Even within core areas there is the ability to site projects in unsuitable habitat. Core areas have been used to beat people up. Lankin Dome Site: Jared stated the NOLS base camp is here. Ellen’s state lease separates the two WSA’s. Ellen stated Lankin Creek is spring fed. Anderson’s lease it. Jared stated there are visitor management issues. Bolting on the face of the dome, hunters, fire. Reg asked does Lankin Dome absorb most of the climbing of WSA’s? Jared responded yes. Doug asked what are the different types of climbing? David stated mostly traditional rock climbing but now more “bouldering.” Oregon Trail Site: Jared stated Oregon, Mormon, Pony Express and California Trails used same trail corridor. The Trail corridor abuts the WSA’s. Craig stated people made their way west to claim the land for the US, following the rivers across the land to South Pass. 500,000 people plus a million animals in 30 years until the railroad was built in 1869. Jared stated the trail corridor is outside WSA’s. The 1991 BLM recommended WSA’s not be designated Wilderness because of the interface with private lands. Sizes of WSA’s Savage Peak- 7041 acres, Miller Springs- 6429 acres, Lankin Dome- 6316 acres, Split Rock- 12,789 acres. Nick stated Lankin Dome has one Wyoming Game and Fish walk-in area adjoining Murphree’s for hunting only. David stated the signage isn’t clear. Jared stated there are 40 acres of inholding; Split Rock Ranch in Beaton Pocket. Dick asked if in trail corridor grazing was managed differently? Jared stated grazing is not affected by trails, but placement of new range projects are subject to the viewshed restrictions of the National Historic Trails Corridor. Ellen stated the LDS Church owns most of the land around Savage Peak WSA and do not allow access. There is no WSA in Ordway. Stan stated discussed Big Horn Sheep reintroduction. There is no movement on this because most landowners had opposed it. A Wilderness designation wouldn’t affect it.

Page 4