Conservation – SITKA, The Conservation Alliance, WY Wildlife Federation

SITKA Gear is long known for crafting some of the best clothing and outdoor items known to the industry. Additionally, they always look to give back to that same community whenever they can. So, it should come as no surprise that they have joined with The Conservation Alliance to support the Wyoming Wildlife Federation in building migration corridors for wildlife. This will help serve mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, and many more species.

Sitka Gear Coverage on AllOutdoor

Bozeman, Montana – June 6th, 2024 – SITKA Gear announces its joint grant with The Conservation Alliance to support the Wyoming Wildlife Federation’s critical initiative to construct corridors for migrating wildlife. Funded under SITKA’s Shared Stewardship initiative, this partnership is aimed at uniting conservation groups in the outdoor industry to foster habitat connectivity and ensure healthy wildlife populations in the West.
Mule deer can travel hundreds of miles to meet their needs, repeating the same path yearly. They take advantage of high-elevation forage in the summer and retrace their journey back to lower elevations to inhabit winter ranges. Mapped wildlife routes show how these animals are not choosing where they want to go but navigating where they must go.
Various land use practices often complicate large habitat areas. Roads, highways, towns, cities, reservoirs and fences turn habitual migration corridors into fragmented islands. The visualization of migration routes through GPS collaring over the past 15 years and the loss of species along roads has clearly highlighted the impact of man-made barriers and pinch points.

One such critical hot spot is the Wyoming State Highway 189, which connects the towns of Evanston and Kemmerer in southwest Wyoming. This area sees many wildlife-vehicle collisions, impacting pronghorn populations and disrupting the migratory and winter-range movements of mule deer from the Uinta and Wyoming Range herds. The new wildlife-crossing project jointly supported by SITKA and The Conservation Alliance on Highway 189 is designed to mitigate these impacts by promoting habitat connectivity and ensuring safer travel for both wildlife and humans. The project includes the construction of five underpasses and one overpass, complemented by fencing to guide animals toward these safe crossing points.
“The Shared Stewardship Initiative under SITKA’s Ecosystem Grants program is designed to create opportunities for collaborative conservation,” said Lindsey Davis, SITKA’s Director of Conservation and Advocacy. “I’m thrilled to be jointly supporting a key wildlife migration initiative of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation in partnership with The Conservation Alliance to show how conservation groups from across the outdoor recreation industry can have a larger, positive impact when working together.”

“Preserving the Wyoming Range mule deer migration corridor, which spans 1.3 million acres, as a vital habitat will help ensure the survival of a species critical to the area’s local ecosystems while supporting world-class hunting and recreation activities for nearby community members and visitors alike. Conserving big game migration routes will strengthen local businesses that rely on the outdoors,” said Kim Paymaster, Grant Program Director at The Conservation Alliance. “We are grateful to work in partnership with SITKA and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation to protect critical open spaces and wild places.
Joy Bannon, Wyoming Wildlife Federation’s Executive Director, says, “The Wyoming Range Mule Deer herd is a priority herd for the state of Wyoming and they along with the Unita Mule Deer herd and the area’s pronghorn antelope were severely impacted by the harsh 2022-23 winter. This wildlife crossing project will increase the ability for these animals to move across important habitats with food sources essential for them to build fat and survive harsh winters. We sincerely appreciate SITKA Gear and The Conservation Alliances’ joint support of this critical effort.”

As always, let us know all of your thoughts about the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, The Conservation Alliance, and Sitka Gear in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

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Adam Scepaniak