< All Press Releases

CODY, Wyo. – The Conservation Outdoor Recreation Education youth group and the Bureau of Land Management Cody Field Office completed another successful week of public land improvements this summer in the northern Bighorn Basin. Community partnerships, such as the one between the youth group and the BLM, are an essential component of the agency’s mission to practice shared conservation stewardship on public land.

Fourteen young people from Casper, ranging in age from 10-18 years, and their adult leaders set up camp at the BLM-administered Five Springs Falls Campground, nestled along the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains, 22 miles east of Lovell. Here they stabilized 180 feet of buck-and-pole fence on a steep, talus slope; repaired parking bollards; repaired portions of the trail washed-out by spring precipitation; cleaned out fire pits; and raked, cleaned and leveled campsites.

BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Paul Rau has been coordinating the partnership with the youth group, also known as CORE, for several years. “I see this annual tradition as an opportunity for the CORE kids to connect to the natural world, as well as get some great work done,” said Rau. “My hope is that if they are engaged from an early age in learning and recreating on public land, they will be part of the next generation of conservation stewards.”

CORE, now in its 18^th year, promotes respect for others and teamwork. Many of the participants come from disadvantaged homes and most have never camped before.

Victor Orr, Violence Prevention Coordinator for the Self Help Center of Casper, is the founder and leader of CORE. “I tell the kids that they represent CORE as well as the federal government, and that what they do matters, which is kinda’ cool,” said Orr.

The CORE group also worked with The Nature Conservancy to improve the Heart Mountain Trail. After summiting the mountain, the group armored and secured a section of the popular trail near Cody.

In addition to the work, an educational component was incorporated into the week. BLM staff led the group on an interpretive tour in the Clarks Fork Canyon to discuss the significance of the Nez Perce National Historic Corridor and how young people today can connect to people of the past. That day ended with a cleanup of the BLM-managed Hogan and Luce Recreation Area, where the kids put Leave No Trace principles into practice.

Orr leads several outings like this each summer in Wyoming. The groups do volunteer projects for the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, including an annual trip to Yellowstone National Park.

For more information contact Paul Rau at 307-578-5900 or prau@blm.gov.