PINEDALE, Wyo. — Since 2017 more than 500 miles of fence have been converted to be wildlife-friendly as part of the Upper Green Wildlife-Friendly Fence Initiative (UGWFFI), and close to 700 miles of fence has been converted to wildlife-friendly throughout the county over the last decade.
The UGWFFI is a cooperative effort with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), Sublette County Conservation District and the Natural Resource Conservation Service, along with other federal agencies and non-governmental organizations. This collaborative effort helps convert old fences to wildlife-friendly fences on private lands and prioritize modifications and removals in crucial habitats for big game.
“Landowner participation has been the cornerstone of the growth and success of the program,” said Troy Fieseler, WGFD terrestrial habitat biologist in the Pinedale Region. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without them.”
Much of the area with converted fencing is within a migratory route of mule deer and pronghorn in Sublette County. However, ungulates aren’t the only ones benefitting from this new fencing, according to WGFD some fence conversions help sage grouse by improving visibility of the top wire.
