Absaroka Fence Initiative provides neighborly fencing solutions east of Yellowstone

I was born and raised in Cody, Wyoming and grateful to still call this place home. Cody is a friendly, gateway community to Yellowstone National Park, sitting just 50 miles east of the border, and servicing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. As the “cowboy state,” Wyoming’s rich history is tied to agriculture and ranching as a way of life, however, the tourism industry has grown substantially and is not far behind. With vast, open landscapes and meandering rivers, wildlife is abundant here and a source of pride for residents, both locally and statewide. 

Our robust and treasured wildlife populations move throughout the landscape, whether long distant migrations or daily walk-abouts seeking food, shelter, or water.  Often these movements intersect with fences which sometimes can be fatal for the animal or damage the fence, which is costly for landowners. Damaged fencing can lead to livestock getting loose and heavy-duty fencing can impact wildlife’s ability to access their summer and winter range, which can be costly for wildlife too. 

A pronghorn slips under a fence in Wyoming’s Greater Yellowstone. (Photo Mark Gocke)

With this in mind, area landowners, government agencies, non-profit organizations, scientists, and livestock producers came together with a goal of enhancing wildlife movement and livestock functionality by adding, modifying, or removing fences. 

The community-driven Absaroka Fence Initiative was subsequently launched. Their informative website includes information about events, fence ecology, stories, and more.  

The group recently hosted a public workday and removed unneeded fence on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Several smaller projects have also been completed on private land and on the Shoshone National Forest. More projects, small and large, including additional public workdays are currently in the planning phase. Events will be posted on the Absaroka Fence Initiative’s Facebook page and website. Be sure to sign up and learn more. 

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is excited to support this unique and innovative collaborative to solve complex challenges facing our region. The Absaroka Fence Initiative fosters good neighbors, enhances wildlife movement, maintains livestock functionality, and helps evolve and share knowledge of effective fence designs in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

—Jenny DeSarro, Wyoming Conservation Coordinator

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 30+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.