Ranchland provides half of winter range
in Wyoming and most of the benefits

By Roger Coupal
for Headwaters News

The importance of private open space in Wyoming goes beyond scenic vistas and cultural icons. This rugged beauty is driving a housing and population boom in many non-incorporated areas within the state that rivals some of the fastest-growing areas in Rocky Mountain West. But that private open space is also an important component of Wyoming’s wildlife habitat.

Wyoming’s wildlife is an important asset to residents and visitors. It provides pleasure for viewing and hunting, which in turn generate dollars in our economy.

Wildlife herds depend upon both the state's public lands and on private lands, which total 62.7 million acres. Private lands account for just over 49 percent of that total.

Of the 52 million acres of total winter habitat, 26.1 million acres (50 percent) are private.

Wildlife generally does not pay attention to the boundaries that society places on land. Animals move from private to public land, from state to federal land, and back again. These movements can occur on an annual, seasonal and daily basis.

Animals that are on high-elevation, mostly public lands during the summer and autumn often migrate to lower, private lands during the winter. The availability and quality of that winter range, both public and private, is critical to overall herd size and viability, to residents’ and visitors' enjoyment, and ultimately, to the economic activity wildlife creates.

Two studies at the University of Wyoming’s Institute for the Environment and Natural Resources and the Cooperative Extension Service examined the geography of winter range and migration corridors, and the relationships to private land and the state economy.

The studies surveyed Wyoming's six major big game species: pronghorn, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mule deer and white-tailed deer. These reports measured the importance of private lands on winter range and migration corridors, and the related economic activity resulting from hunting these species in the state.


Geographic relationships

The studies estimated the total acres of winter range for each of the six species using geographic information system data from the Wyoming Game and Fish Agency. After accounting for overlapping ranges, the total public and private winter range for these six species covers more than 52 million acres, which is approximately 83 percent of the total land area of the state.

Of the 52 million acres of total winter habitat, 26.1 million acres (50 percent) are private.

Some species are more dependent upon private winter range than others. White-tailed deer and mule deer utilize the most private winter range of all six species. White-tailed deer range generally follows the bottomland along rivers, which happen to be mostly privately owned.

Fully 82 percent of white-tailed deer winter range is private. Mule deer winter range is 58 percent private. In contrast, bighorn sheep have the least amount of winter habitat on private land, totaling only 5 percent.

Elk winter on 11.8 million acres of land around the state, of which approximately 39 percent is private. Moose winter on 5.6 million acres of land, of which 25 percent is private.

The importance of private open spaces does not end with winter range. In a companion study looking at migration corridors, many migration corridors run through areas where more than two-thirds of the land is private.

Fragmentation of those lands can pose a major impediment to traditional herd migrations. Approximately 16 percent of traditional migration corridors for mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk and pronghorn are located in areas where two-thirds or more of the corridor is on private land.

Economic Impacts

The role of private land in maintaining big game populations is of obvious importance, but the importance extends beyond the number of acres. Hunting generates a significant economic activity in the state, and the ecological services provided by privately owned winter range contribute to this economic activity.

The loss and fragmentation of winter habitat on private land can affect herd size and therefore, the economic activities resulting from those species.

According to Wyoming Game and Fish Department estimates of hunter-day numbers and expenditures, the six species reviewed here generated more than $120.3 million in 2000. Non-resident hunters accounted for 48 percent and residents accounted for 52 percent of this total.

Twenty-six million acres of private winter habitat support more than $64 million in hunter expenditures in the state, or almost 54 percent of the total.

Except for a small amount paid out in damage payments and trespass fees to landowners, this economic activity accrues to the state’s businesses, such as lodging, gasoline, restaurants and retail and food stores.

These ecological services provide a positive economic spillover from agriculture and other landowners to the broader economy.


Conclusions

Private agricultural lands provide significant benefits for Wyoming wildlife, residents and visitors. Twenty-six million acres of private land in the state provide winter habitat for pronghorn, elk, moose, big horn sheep, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. This represents approximately 50 percent of the total winter range in the state.

Considering its value as big game winter range alone, private land ultimately generates more than $64 million in positive economic spillovers from hunter expenditures out of a total of $120.2 million.

On a species basis, the relationships between private lands, herd size, and the associated economic activities vary, but it is nonetheless important for most of the species analyzed.

-- Pronghorn use more than 20.7 million acres of winter habitat on private lands, which represents approximately 56 percent of its total winter habitat. This habitat then is responsible for $11.2 million in economic activity in the state from resident and non-resident hunting.

-- Bighorn sheep use more than 155,000 acres of winter habitat on private lands, which represents approximately 5 percent of total winter habitat. This habitat then is responsible for $33,000 in economic activity.

-- Elk use more than 4.55 million acres of winter habitat on private lands, which represents approximately 39 percent of total winter habitat and generates $23.7 million.

-- Moose use more than 1.4 million acres of winter habitat on private lands, which represents approximately 25 percent and generates $721,700.

-- Mule deer use more than 22.2 million acres of winter habitat on private lands, which is approximately 58 percent of total winter habitat and generates $28.7 million.

-- White-tailed deer use more than 7.41 million acres of winter habitat on private lands, approximately 82 percent of total winter habitat, and generates $8.8 million.

Roger Coupal is a faculty member at the University of Wyoming's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and a member of the research team of the Institute of Environment and Natural Resources' Wyoming Open Spaces Initiative.

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