Volume 37 Number 42 • February 7, 2026
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The Weekly News Source for Ranchers, Farmers and AgriBusiness Community • www.wylr.net
A Look Inside Roberts’ wolf incident trial advances....................Page A10 WAN, AIN announce strategic merger..........................Page A7 Chicken wing prices fall despite high demand for Super Bowl LX......................Page A15
Lawmakers introduce bill to prohibit lab-grown meat sales On Jan. 27, Wyoming lawmakers introduced legislation to prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of labgrown meat, a move they believe will protect public health, consumer transparency and the state’s livestock industry.
Sponsored by State Reps. Tomi Strock (R-HD06) and Gary Brown (R-HD41), House Bill (HB) 61 builds on an existing labeling law in the state of Wyoming requiring meat alternatives and plant-based products to be clearly
identified for consumers. If enacted, the legislation would take effect on July 1. Details of the bill According to the bill’s text, Please see BILL on page A14
NALF annual award winners announced...........Pages A18-19
WESTI Ag Days
USDA expands NWS response as threat intensifies......Page B1
Quick Bits
Annual conference offers current information on weed management in Wyoming
Snow Report In the eighth snow report for Water Year 2026, the state’s snow telemetry data reads 85% of median, with a basin high of 112% and a basin low of 4%. Last year, the state was at 87% and at 76% in 2024. The report and a map displaying basin snow water equivalent percentages of median for the state may be found at wrds.uwyo. edu/wrds/nrcs/nrcs.html.
Scholarship The Wyoming FFA Foundation is honored to introduce the Jeff Green Memorial Scholarship in memory of Jeff Green, the father of former Wyoming FFA State Officer and Ag Teacher Caleb Green. Jeff spent his life serving others in the medical field as a firefighter, paramedic, flight nurse and certified registered nurse anesthetist, so the foundation’s new $1,000 scholarship is intended for FFA members interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. For more information or to apply, visit ffa.org.
Bull Test The University of Wyoming (UW) is excited to host the Fourth Annual UW High Altitude Bull Test and Sale on March 28 starting at 10 a.m. The mission of the bull test is to provide a unique learning experience for UW students, valuable data and a venue for producers to market their bulls and a source of pulmonary arterial pressure-tested bulls for cow/calf producers across the region. For more information or to fill out a consignor entry form, visit uwyo.edu/ anisci/outreach/uw-beef-program/bull-test-info/index.html.
4-H Classes
The veterinarians at Uinta Veterinary Hospital in Fort Bridger will offer free classes for all 4-H youth and leaders focused on animal care and well-being again this year. Classes will be held from 6-7 p.m., and sessions will focus on equine on March 2, pigs on April 6, beef on May 4 and sheep and goats on June 1. For more information, call 307783-0570 or e-mail uinta@ uwyo.edu.
WYLR photo
PRCA board considers relocating to the Cowboy State The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) is “seriously considering” a move from Colorado to the Cowboy State, according to a Jan. 26 press release issued by the association. Members of the PRCA board approved a non-binding memorandum outlining a potential relocation of headquarters – as well as the PRCA Hall of Fame and Museum of the American Cowboy – from Colorado Springs, Colo. to Cheyenne by early 2029. The announcement has been met with general
enthusiasm from Wyomingites but is not yet final, with the PRCA noting the ultimate decision will be contingent upon funding from the Wyoming Legislature and other variables. Strategic move The PRCA board views a potential relocation to Wyoming as a strategic move which capitalizes upon the Cowboy State’s rich connection to rodeo and sets the ever-growing world of Western sports up for continued Please see PRCA on page A12
University of Wyoming (UW) Extension hosted its WESTI Ag Day conference at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center in Worland from Feb. 3-4. The annual conference aims to provide professional farmers with current, research-based information about best practices in Wyoming agriculture. Discussion topics ranged from weed management and plant disease to fungicide resistance and pesticide application, with a specific emphasis on current issues affecting Wyoming farmers. Weed management Jeremiah Vardiman, assistant coordinator of UW Extensionʼs Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), kicked off the conference with a presentation on Palmer amaranth in the Big Horn Basin. In his role, Vardiman collaborates with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, UW Extension educators and other industry leaders while overseeing private and commercial Please see WESTI on page A9
WSGLT welcomes leadership On Jan. 30, the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust (WSGLT) announced the appointment of five distinguished leaders to its board of directors – Gay Lynn Byrd, Marilyn Kite, Bret Leas, DJ Healy and Robert Heykoop. Each brings a deep commitment to Wyoming, along with exceptional experience in conservation, law, finance, agriculture and community leadership. “As the organization looks ahead, this group will play an important role in strengthening partnerships, advancing stewardship of working lands and supporting ranching families across the state,” said WSGLT Executive Director Christine Adams. “Their guidance will help ensure WSGLT remains responsive, durable and grounded in the needs of Wyoming’s agricultural communities.” Byrd is a Wyoming rancher, conservationist and public servant raised on the Allemand Ranch near Douglas. She earned a degree in agricultural business from Montana State University and returned home to help operate her family’s ranch while managing wildlife habitat. Appointed in 2017 to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Byrd represented District Seven and championed wildlife crossings, invasive species prevention, the WYldlife Fund and solutions balancing ranching with conservation. Kite is a pioneering lawyer and judge who made history as the first woman to serve on the Wyoming Supreme Court and later as its first female chief justice. A University of Wyoming graduate, Kite served on the court for 15 years, authoring more than 500 opinions while advocating for court security, civics education and Please see WSGLT on page A8
Sage grouse working groups retired Effective Jan. 31, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) will retire the Sage Grouse Local Working Groups, marking a new chapter in conservation efforts which began in 2004. “We greatly appreciate the 21 years of dedicated service from our local working group members,” WGFD Director Angi Bruce said. “Their efforts are part of the foundation for our ongoing work in sage grouse conservation.” Local working groups The working groups were a direct response to the 2003 Wyoming Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Plan. The primary role of the groups was to localize sage grouse conservation strate-
gies focused on improving and maintaining sage grouse populations and habitats. Providing key local perspectives and insights, the groups were instrumental in implementing crucial sage grouse conservation plans and funded 377 projects. Through the efforts of these working groups, more than $11 million in sage grouse focused conservation actions and $68 million in matching funds were secured. Since 2018, the role of the working groups has evolved. Conservation funding authority shifted from the legislature to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, while policy decisions moved to the
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Please see SAGE GROUSE on page A8