Conserving Wildlife in a Boom and Bust State: Wildlife Conservation and Energy Development in Wyoming

Amanda Withroder, a staff biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Habitat Protection Program, will present “Conserving Wildlife in a Boom and Bust State: Wildlife Conservation and Energy Development in Wyoming” on Friday May12 at 7 p.m. at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Building at 2211 King Blvd. The talk is free and open to the public.

Withroder, who grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, has a BA in Political Science and a MA in International Studies and Environmental and Natural Resources. She started working for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in 2010 where her program is responsible for environmental commenting on development proposals of all types and sizes. The goal is to work with project proponents to avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife as much as possible, and to mitigate if needed. She spends a lot of time working with other state and federal agencies on large energy development projects, and to ensure that we have a process in place to adequately consider the needs of wildlife. She also works with project proponents on implementation of the State’s sagegrouse conservation strategy. In a state that is dependent upon energy development, and also is home to an amazing array of wildlife, it is sometimes hard to strike a balance that benefits both. The job of finding that balance falls in part on Withroder. She will discuss how Wyoming Game and Fish coordinates with state and federal agencies, industry, and other stakeholders to reduce the impacts of energy development on wildlife in Wyoming.