Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources
Bim Kendall House
804 E Fremont St
Laramie, WY 82072
Phone: (307) 766-5080
Fax: (307) 766-5099
Email: haub.school@uwyo.edu
April 26-27, 2023
Rochelle Gateway Center in Laramie, WY
April 28, 2023
University of Wyoming Conference Center in Laramie, WY
ProceedingsSince April, the event organizers distilled panel discussions, workshop notes, audience questions, survey feedback, and debrief conversations into a “proceedings.”
The key takeaway is that there is broad, measured support for outdoor recreation development in Wyoming; people are excited about what they have, but concerned about what it might become.
Complexity, collaboration, and community arose as major themes of the forum discussions. Outdoor recreation involves and impacts a huge variety of people, industries, and jurisdictions, which are not always united in their values, priorities, and planning. However, participants strongly supported collaboration as a way of “growing the pie, not dividing it,” and identified the outdoor recreation office’s collaboratives as a critical asset to the state. Through these collaboratives, and other capacities, participants emphasized community input and investment as keys to “building it the way we want it.”
View and download the full proceedings >
How can Wyoming communities balance the benefits and impact of growing outdoor recreation and tourism—economically, culturally, and environmentally?
On April 26-27, 2023 the Ruckelshaus Institute, the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative, and the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office convened stakeholders, managers, policy-makers, and interest groups in Laramie, WY for a forum (and field trip) addressing this question. On April 28, a workshop aimed at the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation's Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives provided skills training and peer-to-peer learning. A special thanks to our sponsor Albany County Tourism Board.
Provide tools and knowledge that stakeholders can bring back to their constituents
Create space for conversations and relationship building among participants
Reveal what needs exist. Direct future action and support from the Ruckelshaus Institute and WORTH Initiative
Rochelle Gateway Center, 222 S 22nd St, Laramie, WY
Goals: Build a shared sense of the state of outdoor recreation and begin to explore its benefits and impacts at various scales.
8-9am: Registration and breakfast
9-9:40am: Welcome from the conveners and Story Circle at individual tables: Why are you here and why is this important to you?
Birch Malotky (Emerging Issue Initiative Coordinator, Ruckelshaus Institute)
Dan McCoy (Director, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative)
9:40-10:20am: Setting the Stage: The state of outdoor recreation in Wyoming.
Dave Glenn (Interim Director, Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources)
10:20-10:35am: Break
10:35-11:45pm: Panel: Regional Perspectives. What can Wyoming learn from the successes and challenges of other outdoor recreation offices? + Audience Q&A.
Moderator — Patrick Harrington (Manager, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office)
Conor Hall (Director, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office)
Matthew Weintraub (Deputy Administrator, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation)
11:45-12:45pm: Lunch
12:45-1:50 pm: Panel: What does the growth of outdoor recreation mean to Wyoming communities? Exploring opportunities, challenges, and the conversations we need to be having in the next several years. + Audience Q&A
Moderator — Steve Smutko (Associate Dean, Haub School)
Amy Grenfell (Chief Operating Officer, Wyoming Business Council)
Brendan Kelly (Recreation Specialist, United States Forest Service)
Patrick Harrington (Manager, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office)
Michael Jones (Fremont County Commissioner)
1:50-2:10: Break and room rearrangement
2:10-5pm: Concurrent sessions – Dig into specific topics around the three pillars of sustainable development—economic, social, and environmental. Lightning talks lead into large-group facilitated discussion where practitioners and decision-makers can learn from each other and move the needle on an outdoor recreation issue in Wyoming.
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Economic: How can we sustainably fund the development and maintenance of outdoor recreation while ensuring economic benefits are captured, leveraged, and documented? |
Social: How can people benefit from the health and quality of life benefits offered by outdoor recreation while preserving the parts of their community that matter most to them? |
Environmental: How can outdoor recreation be managed in a way that protects the resource from degradation? |
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2:10-2:30 |
Panel/Discussion: Outdoor recreation entrepreneurship Moderator: Dan McCoy (Director, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative) -Wes Allen (Sunlight Sports) -Mike Lilygren (Maven Outdoor Equipment Co.) -Jaxon King (Jax Outdoor LLC) -John Kirlin (Co-owner and Race Director, The Dead Swede Hundo LLC; Owner, Cirque Solutions LLC) |
Capstone Student Presentation: Addressing the mental health of Wyoming youth through education on the benefits of outdoor recreation |
Richard Vercoe (Assistant Lecturer, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources): Recreation Ecology as a tool to assess recreation impacts on natural resources and inform management and protection measures |
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2:30-2:50 |
Capstone Student Presentation: Expanding outdoor recreation access and benefits to Wyoming Veterans |
Capstone student presentation: A holistic approach to Wyoming State Park infrastructure |
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2:50-3:10 |
Capstone Student Presentation: Addressing and mitigating cultural and community impacts from increased tourism while promoting sustainable outdoor recreation (Case studies: Cody, WY and Capser, WY) |
Capstone Student Presentation: Shaping visitor behavior through education and/or enforcement to ensure responsible recreation |
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3:10-3:30 |
BREAK |
BREAK |
BREAK |
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3:30-3:50 |
Capstone Student Presentation: Maximizing economic impact of outdoor recreation and finding ways to keep outdoor recreation revenue within local communities (Case studies: Casper, WY and Centennial, WY) |
Workshop: Uncovering Meaningful Places: Managing conflict in outdoor recreation and tourism development through place meanings and values. Facilitator: Steve Smutko, (Associate Dean, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources) -Wes Eaton, (Visiting Professor, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources) -Curt Davidson (Assistant Professor, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources) |
Facilitated Discussion: Wildlife-recreation conflict: What we know and where we can grow. Facilitator: Birch Malotky (Emerging Issue Initiative Coordinator, Ruckelshaus Institute) -Joe Holbrook, (Assistant Professor, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources) -Courtney Larson, (Conservation Scientist, The Nature Conservancy Wyoming) -Jesse McCarty, (Wildlife Biologist, USFS) -Jonathan Brooks, (Wilderness and Trails Manager, USFS)
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3:50-5 |
Panel/Discussion: New and creative strategies for paying for outdoor recreation Moderator: Dan McCoy (Director, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative) -Taylor Phillips, (Owner, JH EcoTour Adventures and Founder, WYldlife for Tomorrow) - Mike Kusiek (Executive Director, Wyoming Pathways) - Dave Glenn (Interim Director, Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources |
5-6:30 Poster session and reception
ENR undergraduate capstone students: Case studies of outdoor recreation hot spots and what we can learn from them.
ENR graduate capstone students:
Status and opportunities for Outdoor Recreation Collaboratives in Wyoming
Balancing the needs of wildlife and recreation: Enhancing agency response to conflict
Starting the conversation: Indigenous perspectives on outdoor recreation development in Wyoming
Wyoming State Parks engagement: Building a toolkit for public participation
Leaning into conflict: A case comparison on how conflict can strengthen, rather than weaken, outdoor recreation
Snapshots, The Sinks and Rise: Stories of Migration to Lander, Wyoming
6:30: Dinner
Rochelle Gateway Center, 222 S 22nd St, Laramie, WY
Goals: Explore a proactive approach to the growth of outdoor recreation Wyoming, where communities envision and work towards mutually agreed-upon futures.
8-8:45am: Registration and Breakfast.
8:45-9am: [RE]Welcome. Brief reflection and charting the path forward.
Birch Malotky (Emerging Issue Initiative Coordinator, Ruckelshaus Institute)
9-10am: Keynote – You Have to Give It Away to Keep It
Ashlee Lundvall (Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner, Speaker)
10-10:10am: Break
10:10-11:40pm: Panel - The importance of community-engaged planning and visioning to successful outdoor recreation development. + Audience Q&A
Moderator — Gabby Voeller (Senior Associate, SE Group)
Sarah Brown Matthews (Executive Director, Pilot Hill Inc.)
Erik Dombroski (Chair, Jackson Travel and Tourism Board)
Amy Crawford (Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office)
Katy Kuhnel (Wyoming Recreation Program Lead, Bureau of Land Management)
Linda Merigliano (Recreation Wilderness Program Manager, United States Forest Service)
11:40-12:40pm: Lunch
12:40-2:10pm: Panel – Lessons from Wyoming: Looking for and building on the root causes of success, spreading insight for positive change. + Audience Q&A
Moderator — Brynn Hirschman (Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation
Office)
Scott Kosiba (Executive Director, Friends of the Bridger Teton National Forest)
Angela Emery (Former Executive Director, Platte River Trails)
Tom Ryan (Hot Springs County Commissioner)
Caleb Carter (Manager, Weston County Natural Resource District)
Cassie Castillo (Development Associate, LatinoOutdoors)
2:10-2:20: Break
2:20-3:30: Panel – Takeaways and commitments: What will you bring from this forum into your work? + Audience Q&A
Moderator: Birch Malotky (Emerging Issue Initiative Coordinator, Ruckelshaus Institute)
Kristi Murphy (Recreation Program Manager, United States Forest Service)
Sandy Newsome (Chairwoman, House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources
Committee, Wyoming State Legislature)
Mike Kusiek (Executive Director, Wyoming Pathways)
Budd Betts (Owner, Absaroka Ranch and Outfitters)
Dan McCoy (Director, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism, and Hospitality (WORTH)
Initiative)
Option 1: Hike, Bike, or Run at Pilot Hill
Meet 4:15pm at the end of E Willett Drive (Pilot Hill Recreation Area Kiosk)
Google maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/x5UAwReZttouaY2H6
Hike, bike, run for ~1 hour
Be prepared for any weather a Wyoming spring could spring at you.
Option 2: Hike or Bike at Curt Gowdy State Park
Meet 4:30 pm at Curt Gowdy State Park (Aspen Grove Trailhead)
Google maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/p2mtn6oUphxJB4Va9
Hike or bike for ~1 hour
Be prepared for any weather a Wyoming spring could spring at you.
Fees: If you don’t have a WY state parks pass, a day pass is $7/vehicle for residents,
$12/vehicle for non-residents
On-your-own Option: Last of the Wild Film Screening
6:30-7:30pm at Gryphon Theatre (710 E Garfield Street Studio #333)
Google maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/165cDTxppU1YKcmYA
View a 25 minute documentary on the Red Desert with Q&A
Free and open to the public
Learn more here: https://wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org/last-of-the-wild/
*Options and meeting location are condition-dependent. Final details will be announced on Thursday at the forum and via email.
Limited bike rentals are available in Laramie at the Pedal House (307-742-5533) and All Terrain Sports (307-828-1987).
Bond's Brewing Company, 411 S 2nd Street
Starting at 5pm and continuing through the evening, connect with other forum attendees at an informal happy hour to keep the conversations going.
Space reserved under "Outdoor Rec Forum"
University of Wyoming Conference Center, 2221 Grand Ave, Laramie, WY
Goals: Promote community-building and peer learning, provide tangible project development skills.
8-8:05am: Welcome
Amy Crawford (Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Office)
8:05-9am: Introduction to Collaboration
Steve Smutko (Associate Dean, Spicer Chair of Collaborative Practice, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources)
9-9:45am: The Idea Stage
Let's Get the Party Started: Translating Vague Ideas into Getting 'Er Done
Deb Kleinman (Lupine Collaboratives)
Making Friends: The Importance of Relationship Building and Trust Building
Zulima Lopez (Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Casper)
Project Budgeting for the Average Joe
Sarah Brown Matthews (Executive Director, Pilot Hill Inc.)
9:45-10: Break
10-10:45am: The Planning Stage
Put it on my Tab: Funding Opportunities for Outdoor Rec Projects
Louisa Lopez (Recreation Grants Manager, Outdoor Recreation. Office & Division of
State Parks and Trails)
Gateway Communities: Continental Divide Trail
Helen Wilson (Wind River Visitor Council)
5 Ways to Strengthen your Grant Proposal
Brynn Hirschman (Outdoor Recreation Coordinator, Outdoor Recreation Office)
10:45-11am: Break
11-12: The Clearance Stage
Navigating NEPA
Rebecca Watson (Special Counsel, Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, P.C.)
12-1pm: Lunch
1-1:45pm: The Construction Stage
Panel on Non-Motorized Trails
Darran Wells (Associate Professor, Central Wyoming College)
Mike Kusiek (Executive Director, Wyoming Pathways)
Caleb Owen (Non-Motorized Trails Coordinator, Office of Outdoor Recreation)
Jim Fried (Program Director, Wyoming Conservation Corps)
1:45-2:30: Maintenance and Growth Stage
Case Study: Green River Greenbelt
Tom Wilson (Green River Greenbelt Task Force)
Case Study: Central Wyoming Climbers Alliance
Justin Iskra (Executive Director, Central Wyoming Climber’s Alliance, WyoClimbers)
Case Study: Johnny Behind the Rocks
Ami McAlpin (Executive Director, Lander Cycling Club)
2:30-3pm: Conclusion
Steve Smutko (Associate Dean, Spicer Chair of Collaborative Practice, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources)
Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources
Bim Kendall House
804 E Fremont St
Laramie, WY 82072
Phone: (307) 766-5080
Fax: (307) 766-5099
Email: haub.school@uwyo.edu
