From the pages of
Sublette Examiner
Volume 6, Number 35 - November 23, 2006
brought to you online by Pinedale Online

Carcass disposal debated

by Cat Urbigkit

Boulder rancher Suzy Michnevich spoke with Sublette County Commissioners in a meeting in Marbleton this week about the Upper Green River sage grouse working group.

Michnevich reported that the group is nearing completion on its final plan for grouse conservation at the local level. She explained that the group plans to attend the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission’s March meeting to get that agency’s nod of approval of the plan.

The public will soon get to comment on the draft plan, Michnevich said, with the comment period set to open about Dec. 6. There will also be a public meeting about the plan on the evening of Jan. 11.

Michnevich also spoke with the commissioners about the issue of animal carcasses along roads and how they should be disposed of. She said WG&F is no longer allowed to take the carcasses to the transfer station near Pinedale, and noted that the Wyoming Department of Transportation dumps animal carcasses on a hill above the East Fork of the New Fork River south of Boulder within the highway right of way.

Commissioners noted that WyDOT has been asked numerous times not to dump the carcasses there.

Michnevich suggested that perhaps the county could work with the grouse group to rent dumpsters and set them in certain locations for carcass disposal, perhaps with local volunteers helping in picking up the carcasses.

Linn said that he would rather the county pay $50 for every carcass delivered to the landfill, so long it wasn’t an agency attempting to collect the money. The commission agreed agencies should be able to dispose of the carcasses at the landfill for free.

Linn said he does not like the carcass dump above the East Fork, suggesting that if the county can ban fires, perhaps it should ban the dumping of animal carcasses as well.

Commission Chair Betty Fear said she liked Linn’s idea to pay people for disposing of the carcasses, she thought $50 was too high. The legality of citizens picking up wildlife carcasses was raised as well.

Another option discussed was having WG&F issue a permit for someone to pick up carcasses, with the county paying for the service.

Michnevich said she would pursue the matter, noting, “The fewer carcasses there are, the less ravens there will be.”

Commissioner John Linn brought up the issue of the speed limit on Paradise Road, now that it is newly paved. The speed limit is currently posted at 45 miles per hour.

“I think we should raise it,” Linn said. “I think it is way too slow.”

Linn suggested that there should be two posted limits on the road; one for summer and one for winter.

The commission agreed to speak with an engineer about the appropriate limit.

The commission enacted a resolution to begin the process of altering or vacating a portion of Willow Creek County Road 23-119 in order to accommodate the Mollring Second Addition to the Town of Pinedale. The commission will hold a hearing on the issue on Dec. 19 at 9 a.m.

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