CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has initiated the revision process for Wyoming’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), which contributes to a nation-wide strategy for conserving at-risk species and habitats.
The 2017 SWAP states that nation-wide SWAPS are “comprehensive strategies designed to maintain the health and diversity of wildlife within a state including preventing the need for the listing of new species under the Endangered Species Act.” The WGFD wrote that every state develops and maintains a SWAP to identify priority actions and potential funding for projects. The SWAP focuses on species of greatest conservation need, threats, research needs, long-term monitoring, public participation and coordination with tribes, agencies and conservation partners.
The WGFD is currently requesting public input on how the 2017 SWAP has been used to inform the 2027 revision.
The 2017 SWAP’s revision priorities included improved maps for conservation planning, and a Vulnerability Analysis study, which helped to determine how terrestrial habitats were responding to climate change, residential development, energy development and wildlife disease. It also created a Strategic Habitat Plan to identifying “crucial” and “enhancement” areas for protection.
“The goal of Wyoming’s SWAP is to proactively conserve our species and their habitats,” WGFD State Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator Rhiannon Jakopak said in the announcement. “By identifying conservation priorities it allows us to coordinate our efforts for the greatest impact.”
Wyoming’s first SWAP was created in 2005, and it is updated every 10 years. The current revision was initiated in 2024, and is planned to be finalized and submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by June 30, 2026. Additional public input will be solicited for the updated SWAP draft in spring 2026.
According to Wyoming Untrapped, SWAP is a roadmap to the state’s future conservation needs.
“It’s how we keep our landscapes wild, our wildlife thriving and our connection to nature alive for generations to come,” Wyoming Untrapped wrote on Facebook.
Public comment will be accepted through June 6. The 2017 plan, as well as a link to access the online survey, can be accessed here. The WGFD and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will review and potentially approve the new plan in 2026/2027.
