WGFD: Kohl, Upper Gros Ventre River Ranch provide valuable winter range, habitat

“The Gros Ventre River headwaters drain into a pristine landscape that forms a bridge between the Upper Snake and Green Rivers,” said the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) during a mid-July presentation honoring six landowners from around the state for their partnership. “This area provides crucial winter range for
elk and moose and maintains vital elk and pronghorn migration corridors. It is here that 990 acres of
river-front property are being donated by former U.S. Senator
from Wisconsin, Herb Kohl, to
the Trust for Public Land.”

The property will be turned over to the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and it is the single largest private inholding in the Upper Gros Ventre River drainage.

“It will benefit wildlife and provide public access in perpetuity,” adds WGFD.

The donated property sits 22 miles up the Gros Ventre River and links the public lands of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the National Elk Refuge and the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

WGFD notes that the property has high terrestrial habitat value for a diversity of wildlife.

“The Gros Ventre River watershed is healthy and supports a strong, native fishery, largely due to a network of smaller streams that contribute flow, riparian vegetation and channel conditions that benefit aquatic habitat and fisheries quality,” they continue. “Watershed connectivity and protection for riparian areas are important legacies we as humans can leave on aquatic landscapes. Through his donation, Sen. Kohl delivers both.”

WGFD nominated Herb Kohl as the 2017 Jackson Region Landowner of the year, recognizing his lasting contribution to wildlife conservation and public access.

Saige Albert, managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, compiled this article from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Landowner of the Year Awards Program. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.