There’s a new billboard sure to raise eyebrows and opinions along Big Horn Avenue.
The new billboard has been put up along the roadway heading east towards town. Dominated by a large grizzly in a field of yellow flowers, the message reads: Live Wildlife brings jobs to Wyoming! Our economy needs grizzlies now more than ever. The billboard has been paid for by Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, and directs drivers to their website – wyowild.org – which further explains their platform and the importance of their message.
The timing of the billboard isn’t random. With COVID-19 still damaging the economy, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates is using the board and their message to direct Wyoming’s attention towards its economy, no and in the future. Their rationale is that ecotourism and the natural wonders of the state have been far more reliable than the boom and bust cycle of fossil fuels. But this economic engine requires wildlife to continue. The status of grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act is currently under review in federal court, Wyoming formally advocating for the predator to be delisted and allow a regulated hunting reason. Wyo Wild argues the 22 bears that would be killed are worth millions, if not billions of dollars more if they are allowed to remain alive.
Headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates is a nonprofit organization focused on, quote “informing, educating, and empowering communities to preserve our wild legacy and protect our shared wildlife resources. We envision a Wyoming that leads the nation in exceptional and innovative wildlife management; all stakeholders are valued equally, and management decisions are driven by the best available science”
