Wyoming Conservation Exchange: A Case Study in Grassroots Conservation Program Design

Authors

Kristiana Hansen, University of WyomingFollow
Sara Brodnax, Audubon SocietyFollow
Roger Coupal, University of WyomingFollow
Jennifer Lamb, The Nature ConservancyFollow
Anne MacKinnon, University of Wyoming (adjunct faculty)Follow
Ginger Paige, University of WyomingFollow
Eric Peterson, Wyoming Conservation ExchangeFollow
Melanie Purcell, Sublette County Conservation DistrictFollow

Volume

61

Issue

4

DOI

10.34068/joe.61.04.02

Abstract

This article describes the conception and development of a market-based conservation program in Wyoming whose purpose was threefold: to compensate landowners for good stewardship of their land and water resources; facilitate meaningful conservation; and encourage environmentally responsible energy development. The program was developed with strong stakeholder support against a backdrop of significant regulatory change. The project, called the Wyoming Conservation Exchange (WCE), represents a project-based alternative to more traditional program-based Extension efforts. This article evaluates ways in which the WCE can act as a road map—but also a cautionary tale—for similar Extension efforts in the future.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Hansen, K., Brodnax, S., Coupal, R., Lamb, J., MacKinnon, A., Paige, G., Peterson, E., & Purcell, M. (2024). Wyoming Conservation Exchange: A Case Study in Grassroots Conservation Program Design. The Journal of Extension, 61(4), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.34068/joe.61.04.02