Jackson, Wy – The number of elk in Wyoming has increased
to 99-thousand-867.
That's nearly 16-thousand-700 more than what the state Game and
Fish Commission would like to see.
The number of animals were counted during the annual winter
census.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said hunters killed
21-thousand-685 elk last hunting season. That's an increase of more
than 300 compared with the average from 2001 to 2005. The goal for
2007 is to kill nearly 23-thousand elk.

Laramie, Wy – Colorado and Wyoming will get a grand total of two more weeks to study a federal plan for wide-scale oil shale development in the region.
The two states had requested an additional four months to review
the draft environmental impact statement..
Governors of both states have said they needed more time
to assess the potential social, environmental and economic impacts
of commercial oil shale development in the three states.
But Bureau of Land Management officials say they're already behind the schedule mandated by Congress.

Sheridan, Wy –
Sheridan county has bought 50 acre feet of water from two big horn reservoirs. County commissioner Steve Maier says the county is looking ahead partly because of growth and partly because of climate. Maier says population growth is projected at around 1 to 3 percent which is not so much a concern for water resources. But they want to shore up their reserves. He also says the purchase of water from Dome Lake in particular is a coup for the county because it is privately owned.

Torrington, Wy – Spring storms have increased flows on the
North Platte River enough to cover the state's obligations for last
year's irrigation around Torrington.
Deputy State Engineer Harry LaBonde says inflow from recent
storms has roughly filled up the state's water storage account at
Glendo Reservoir.
LaBonde says increased storage will allow the state to release
enough water this summer to cover last year's pumping of some 300
private agricultural wells near Torrington.

By Elsa Heidorn

By Elsa Heidorn

By Elsa Heidorn

Cheyenne, Wy – The Chief Operating Officer for the Wyoming Business Council will now become the new Chief Executive. Bob Jensen was hired to replace Tucker Fagen to head up Wyoming's top economic development organization. Jensen is a long time Cheyenne Businessman and has been very active in economic development issues in that community. Jensen says that Fagen exceeded expectations but he believes he can expand on that work. Governor Dave Freudenthal says he has known Jensen for many years and calls him a leader with vision.

Jackson, Wy – The number of bald eagles in Wyoming has
grown to 185 breeding pairs.
The eagle population recovery has exceeded expectations from
ornithologists who predicted much lower recovery rates when the
birds were first granted federal protection in 1967.
Wyoming's bald eagle population had dropped to 35 breeding pairs
by 1978 due to hunting, pesticides, poisons and other factors.
Bob Oakleaf oversees nongame species for the Wyoming Game and
Fish Department.

Lander, Wy – The U-S Forest Service has suspended work on revising how it manages the Shoshone National Forest because of a
court ruling out of California.
The agency's draft management plan for the forest was about 90
percent complete at the end of February.
But a court order issued in California in March stopped the
Forest Service from implementing and using a planning rule that
went into effect in 2005. The agency was using the same rule in
revising its Shoshone National Forest management plan.