Outdoors

Learn About Mountain Lions and Black Bears: How to Reduce Conflicts at Upcoming Game and Fish Workshop

Publisher — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 20:30:00 +0000

Learn About Mountain Lions and Black Bears: How to Reduce Conflicts at Upcoming Game and Fish Workshop

Publisher Sat, 10/03/2026 - 22:30

Press Release

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

The Lander Region of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is inviting the public to attend a free workshop titled “Living in Large Carnivore Country.” The workshop will be held in Rawlins on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, 1650 Harshman St.

With growing interest in Rawlins-area mountain lions and increased black bear activity across the entire state, the Game and Fish experts will share their insights into working with these animals, discuss large carnivore behavior and provide tips for living, working and recreating in areas with large carnivores.

Presentations by wildlife professionals will cover several essential topics, including:

Understanding bear and mountain lion behavior.

The importance of attractant management around homes and campsites, including the proper storage of food, garbage and other scents.

What to do during an encounter with a large carnivore.

The importance of notifying Game and Fish.

Questions and answers.

With more people living in and enjoying Wyoming’s outdoors, Game and Fish aims to equip the public with the knowledge necessary to better understand large carnivores and what they can do to reduce the potential for conflicts with them. Experts will also be available to answer questions following the presentation.

For more information on the “Living in Large Carnivore Country” workshop, contact the Lander Regional Office at (307) 332-2688. To learn more about bear safety and conflict prevention, visit the Bear Wise Wyoming page on the Game and Fish website.

Forest Service Recruiting Members for Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee

Publisher — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 20:30:00 +0000

Forest Service Recruiting Members for Greater Rocky Mountain Resource Advisory Committee Publisher Sat, 10/03/2026 - 22:30

Press Release

Forest Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

The Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region, which includes national forests in Colorado and Wyoming, is recruiting individuals to serve on its Resource Advisory Committee (RAC), which was established as required by the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Community Self-Determination Act. Recruitment will run from Sept. 21 to Dec. 20, a 90-day period.

The RAC will help improve collaborative relationships and provide recommendations to the Forest Service concerning project proposals being considered for funding provided by the act.

The RAC will include 15 members appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture after reviewing background information provided by each prospective member.

Any individual or organization may submit a nomination. To be eligible for membership, nominees must:

Be a resident of the state in which the RAC has jurisdiction (Colorado or Wyoming).

Identify which interest group they seek to represent and explain their qualifications to represent that interest group.

Provide a cover letter stating why they want to serve and what they can contribute.

Provide a resume showing relevant experience.

Complete Form AD-755, Advisory Committee or Research and Promotion Background Information

The RAC’s geographic boundary aligns with the Rocky Mountain Region, including land within 29 counties. 22 of these counties elect to receive Title II funds under the SRS program.

Membership will have balanced and diverse representation and include individuals who are recreation users, members of environmental organizations, elected officials, tribal representatives, school officials, timber industry professionals, public at large, and other related interest groups. See the Greater Rocky Mountain RAC webpage for a full breakdown of accepted member types authorized to apply under the “Interest Group Representation” dropdown.

Nominees will be evaluated based on their education, training and experience working with the interest area they represent; their knowledge of the geographic area covered by the RAC; their demonstrated commitment to collaborative resource decision-making; and their ability to contribute to the balance and diversity of the RAC. Additional information may be requested to determine qualifications.

Completed application packets should be submitted before Dec. 20. Selected candidates will serve a four-year term. RAC business is typically conducted during one to four meetings per year, usually held at the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests Supervisor’s Office in Delta, Colorado, or through a virtual platform. Meetings usually last one to two hours in length.

Program details and information on how to apply can be found on the Greater Rocky Mountain RAC website. Additional information on Secure Rural Schools can found on the program’s national page.

For specific questions, please contact RAC Coordinator Daniel Malta at daniel.malta@usda.gov.

Chasing Gold in Carbon County

Publisher — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Chasing Gold in Carbon County

Publisher Sat, 09/26/2026 - 07:00

Continental Divide Trails Month Celebrates Rawlins’ Place Along the Divide

Publisher — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Continental Divide Trails Month Celebrates Rawlins’ Place Along the Divide

Publisher Sat, 09/12/2026 - 07:00

Press Release

City of Rawlins

September is Continental Divide Trails Month in Rawlins, recognizing the community’s location along two major long-distance recreation routes and marking the 10th anniversary of Rawlins becoming a Continental Divide Trail Gateway Community. Mayor Jacquelin Wells proclaimed September 2026 as Continental Divide Trails Month, recognizing both the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) and the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR), as well as the residents, businesses, organizations and volunteers who support the trails and the people who use them.

Rawlins became a designated Continental Divide Trail Gateway Community in September 2016. Over the past decade, community members have invested time and effort in supporting the trail and all its users. This summer, those efforts have included the National Trails Day Clean-Up, adding new community-supported water caches north and south of town, and the first Half-Way Days celebration. New water caches were installed north and south of Rawlins this summer to provide hikers with reliable drinking water along dry stretches of the route, adding to community-supported caches that have existed south of town for years. The caches have seen significant use, and a logbook has recorded hikers visiting from around the world.

Half-Way Days gave Rawlins another way to welcome trail users and celebrate the community’s place along both of these trails. The first annual event included activities, entertainment and promotions organized by local businesses, the Downtown Development Authority, Discover Carbon County, volunteers and residents. Thousands of people took part, bringing residents and visitors together while introducing more people to Rawlins’ connection to the trail and to the hikers and cyclists who travel through town.

More than 30 volunteers participated in National Trails Day, cleaning the Continental Divide Trail south of town while also completing projects downtown. Volunteers removed more than 4,000 pounds of furniture, metal, tires, discarded clothing and household trash, painted CDT blazes and Kids Korner, and worked on flowerpots and flagpoles throughout the area.

For Council Member Terry Patterson, a member of the local volunteer committee leading these efforts, the work has also created a personal connection to the trail and the people who travel it. “The Continental Divide Trail has become something very personal to me. The more you get involved, the more it gets into your bones, and you start to see what an incredible resource we have right here in Rawlins. I’ve always loved spending time in the basin and the mountains, but meeting hikers from around the world and seeing how much they appreciate our community reminds me how special our place along the trail really is. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished — our volunteers, businesses, organizations and residents are what make Rawlins a welcoming trail community,” Patterson said.

Rawlins sits near the midpoint of the more than 3,000-mile Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and at the midpoint of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route’s mapped sections — putting our community right in the middle of two major long-distance routes. Hikers and cyclists traveling these routes stop in Rawlins for lodging, food, groceries, supplies and other services, providing business for local hotels, restaurants, stores and other businesses. The trails also give local residents direct access to long-distance recreation routes and the surrounding landscape.

Throughout September, residents are encouraged to celebrate our Continental Divide trails, enjoy the outdoor opportunities they provide, support the people and businesses who welcome trail users, and help continue making Rawlins a welcoming community along the Divide.

For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations/PIO at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022. Interested in receiving news from the City? Sign up for news via email or text at www.rawlinswy.gov/notifyme under “City of Rawlins News.”

Pan For Adventure

Publisher — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Pan For Adventure

Publisher Sat, 09/05/2026 - 07:00

Game and Fish Announces Voluntary Catch-and-Release Fishing Closures Across the State

Publisher — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Game and Fish Announces Voluntary Catch-and-Release Fishing Closures Across the State Publisher Sun, 08/23/2026 - 03:30

Press Release

Wyoming Game and Fish Department

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is calling on anglers to help protect Wyoming’s trout populations by shifting their fishing to the early morning hours during the summer heat. Due to elevated water temperatures in parts of the state, the department has issued voluntary closures on some waters, asking anglers to either stop catch-and-release fishing after noon or cease fishing altogether.

Unseasonably warm temperatures and low water flows across the state are causing stream temperatures to regularly exceed 70 degrees in the afternoon and evening, posing a serious threat to caught-and-released trout.

What Anglers Need to Know:

• Catch-and-release anglers — rise and reel: Focus your fishing between sunrise and noon. Water temperatures are coolest in the morning, giving released trout the best chance of survival. Please pause catch-and-release fishing after 12:00 p.m.

• Harvest-focused anglers: Anglers looking to keep fish for harvest within standard daily limits may continue to fish, as this practice does not involve releasing stressed fish back into warm water.

Why Timing Matters

Warm water carries significantly less dissolved oxygen, making it difficult for trout to recover after a fight.

• At 65 F: Anglers are encouraged to harvest legal limits rather than practice catch-and-release.

• At 70 F+: Catch-and-release fishing should be stopped entirely for the day.

• Above 75 F: Water temperatures become hazardous, and brief exposure above 80 F is often fatal to trout.

“We know Wyoming anglers care deeply about the health of these rivers,” said Game and Fish Fisheries Management Coordinator Mark Smith. “By hitting the water early and wrapping up catch-and-release fishing by noon, anglers can enjoy great fishing while ensuring our trout populations remain resilient.”

Tips for Protecting Trout in Warm Weather:

• Check the temp: Carry a pocket stream thermometer and check water temps periodically.

• Land them fast: Minimize fight time to prevent fish exhaustion.

• Keep ‘em wet: Keep fish submerged in the water while removing hooks, ideally using barbless hooks.

• Harvest when appropriate: If a fish is exhausted or deeply hooked, and regulations allow, consider harvesting it rather than releasing it.

Signs detailing the voluntary afternoon closure are posted at major public access points. Game and Fish thanks the angling community for practicing proactive conservation this summer.

Visit wgfd.wyo.gov/fishing-boating/fishing-heat for a listing of impacted waters.

Moving into Fall Means Increased Bear Activity

Publisher — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Moving into Fall Means Increased Bear Activity Publisher Sun, 08/23/2026 - 03:30

Press Release

Wyoming Game & Fish Dept.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is currently experiencing an uptick in black bear activity throughout the state.

Bears are currently entering hyperphagia, a biologically-driven period in late summer and fall where they begin to forage and build fat reserves for winter. During this time, bears will consume up to 20,000 calories a day.

“No two years are the same when it comes to bear behavior,” said Dan Thompson, Game and Fish large carnivore supervisor. “While ongoing drought across the state is reducing traditional food sources and pushing bears to range further for calories, bear movement is driven by a complex web of environmental factors.”

All of Wyoming is bear country, and Game and Fish encourages people to be Bear Wise to protect themselves and bears.

Keep garbage where bears can’t smell or reach it, using a bear-resistant container or secure building. Use outdoor cans only for non-food waste and take garbage to an approved disposal site at least once a week.

Protect fruit trees and gardens with electric fencing. Pick ripe fruit promptly and remove fallen fruit, especially before fall.

Bird feeders can also attract bears. Use suet only in winter and hang hummingbird feeders at least 10 feet above the ground and 4 feet from trees or poles.

Unusual bear activity can be reported by calling 1-877-WGFD-TIP (1-877-943-3847), or text “WGFD” to TIP411 (847-411).

Discover Carbon County's Ghost Towns

Publisher — Sat, 15 Aug 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Discover Carbon County's Ghost Towns

Publisher Sat, 08/15/2026 - 07:00

Treasure Hunting Carbon County Style

Publisher — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Treasure Hunting Carbon County Style

Publisher Sat, 08/08/2026 - 19:00

Energy Tour Map Of Carbon County

Publisher — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Energy Tour Map Of Carbon County

Publisher Sat, 08/01/2026 - 15:00