Letter to the Editor – Frank Galey

To the Editor:

The recent sale of the Y-Cross Ranch has received attention around the state and region. The endowment that will be created from the sale offers many tremendous opportunities for the students and faculty in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.   

It has been roughly estimated that the annual income would approach $400,000 per year. These funds will provide for our undergraduate and graduate students via scholarships, internships, hands-on or field-learning experiences and for faculty activities related to students and agriculture. Overall, these programs will benefit not only our students but, as a product of the efforts, the entire agricultural and natural resources community in the state and region through new discoveries by our students and faculty that can be applied to agriculture and the landscape.  

The decision to sell the ranch was not easy. This college was involved by the Foundation in the decision to make the sale from the beginning. Though the ranch did provide opportunities for a few faculty and students and also for a few scholarships, it became clear to me, as Dean of the college, that the sale of the ranch would benefit many more students and faculty over the long-term. Thus, we made the mutual decision to move forward.   

Throughout the process, I found that our partners in the UW Foundation Board and staff to have been hard-working and of the highest integrity.  Special thanks from all of us in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources must go to Frank Mendocino and John Clay. Those two board members worked countless hours on all of our behalf to achieve our goal.  

The funds mentioned above will be allocated to student scholarships, student experience-based learning and faculty activities according to the original agreement  with the donor. We are most grateful to the donor Mr. Courtney C. Davis and will work hard to realize the vision in the process of training the next generation of students in agriculture and natural resources.   

Sincerely,

Frank Galey

Dean

University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources