Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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Spring took a back seat at the weekend, interrupting the plans of the local wildlife, although the storm didn't amount to as much as was predicted. According to the National Weather Service, Aladdin saw seven inches of snow during the three-day event, while Sundance escaped with just 2.2 inches and Moorcroft only received a half-inch dusting....
Paying witness to the solar eclipse was not easy in Sundance, where cloud cover from the tail end of the weekend storm kept the sun out of view for most of the event. The skies visibly began to darken just after 11:30 a.m. on April 8, despite Wyoming not being in the path of totality and witnessing only a partial eclipse. In fact, maximum blockage in Sundance was just 63.1%. This was the last eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous United States until 2044, according to...
Site Name Elevation (ft) Current Snow Depth (in) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in) 30-yr Median SWE (in) Last Year’s SWE (in) Current Percent of 30 Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 2.6 0.4 1.1 4.8 36 Blind Park Snotel 6870 0.0 0.0 7.0 8.7 0 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 10.0 2.3 5.2 8.1 44 Ditch Creek 6880 1.5 0.4 3.6 6.0 11 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 2.5 5.2 0 Mallo 6420 0.0 0.0 5.9 9.5 0 Mount Tom 5560 0.0 0.0 2.9 5.8 0 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 4.9 6.6 7.6 74 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.8 0.1 7.0 10.1 1 Upper Spearfish 6500 5.0 1.2 5...
The U.S. Forest Service is planning a fuel management program for 8000 acres near Beulah and is seeking public comment. The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard, increase growing space for pine trees, restore openings and low-density forest on south-facing slopes and diversify species composition at the north end of the Wyoming Black Hills in Crook County. The Forest Service is proposing to treat National Forest land four miles south of Beulah, 13 miles east of Sundance and nine miles west of Spearfish through mechanic...
The Bureau of Land Management has followed in the county’s footsteps and placed stage one fire restrictions on its public lands in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties. “Last summer’s moisture and cool weather brought an abundance of grass and other fine fuels to public lands within the district,” says High Plains District Fire Management Officer Craig Short. “This, in combination with the lack of moisture and warm, windy weather we’re experiencing, has created an environment susceptible to wildfires.” It is now prohibited to building, mai...
A gander displays his courtship skills at Sundance Pond on the first day of spring....
After the warmest winter on record for the United States, there are indications that Wyoming may still get its fair share of spring showers. Predictions for the next couple of weeks suggest above average precipitation and cooler-than-normal temperatures in this area, with the temperatures then rising but the possibility of extra moisture lasting through until at least the middle of April. This is a marked change from a winter that has now been reported as the warmest on record – an estimated 5.4 degrees above average for the United States as a...
Counties like Crook may get to have a say in the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) new rules for old-growth forests after all. Earlier this year, the commissioners called for a rethink of the USFS’s plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy. In a comment letter, the county criticized the one-size-fits-all approach and failure to include local governments in the process. The new rules are expected to affect all National Forests in Wyoming, including the Black Hills. Dru Palmer, consultant for...
The annual enrollment period is open for Wyoming Game and Fish’s Access Yes Program. The program facilitates public hunting and fishing access on private lands or land-locked public lands while building the relationship between hunters, anglers and private landowners. Growing the Access Yes program is especially important in the Sheridan Region, as the region is primarily composed of private land. Through the program, a participating landowner and department personnel develop the terms of an agreement to allow hunting or fishing access on t...
Wyoming is still fighting the good fight to keep invasive mussels from its waters. With boating season underway, Wyoming Game & Fish has opened its check stations for the season. “Wyoming is one of the few states left in the nation that hasn’t detected the invasive zebra or quagga mussels in our waters,” said Josh Leonard, AIS coordinator in a press release. “Game & Fish is dedicated to keeping these destructive invasive species out of our state’s waters. That’s why it’s crucial that out-of-state boaters and residents who have taken their b...
Site Name Elevation (ft.) Current Snow Depth (in.) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in.) 30-year Median SWE Last Year’s SWE Current Percent of 30-year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 0.5 0.1 2.1 4.8 5 Blind Park Snotel 6870 11.0 2.8 6.6 7.5 42 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 7.0 1.9 4.7 7.4 40 Ditch Creek 6880 11.1 2.6 3.5 3.8 74 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 3.6 4.0 0 Mallo 6420 9.4 2.0 6.5 6.1 31 Mount Tom 5560 4.5 1.0 4.3 4.9 23 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 16.0 4.5 5.8 6.5 78 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.0 0.0 8.2 9.1 0 Upper Spearfish 6500 9.2 2.3 6.2 8...
Crook County has once again slipped into drought conditions due to an ongoing “snow drought”. The latest data from the National Integrated Drought Information System shows that, during the last month, 95% of the county has entered a state of moderate drought. The western half of the nation is currently experiencing a snow drought, with snow water equivalent below normal at 78% of stations. Northern Wyoming is among the hardest hit areas. Though the southwest could see conditions continue to improve over the next few weeks, the northwest is lea...
The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard on seven isolated parcels of National Forest System (NFS) lands adjacent to the Bear Lodge Mountains in Crook County. High fuel loading on these lands poses a risk to surrounding lands and communities. The proposed project area consists of 403 acres accessible only from non-NFS lands at the north end of the Bear Lodge Mountains and adjacent isolated parcels. There is no legal public or Forest Service access to these parcels. For this reason, the project would be implemented...
WYOMING RANGE FOOTHILLS-From its mobile perch high in the sky, the infrared camera didn't detect so much as a jackrabbit. Jared Rogerson, a Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife disease biologist, wielded the controller of the DGI Matrice 300 drone from a flat, grassy field just outside of the Bench Corral Elk Feedground's fenced haystacks. He scanned one acre of sagebrush and grass after the next. This was the state agency's top-of-the-line drone, a roughly $12,000 machine, and he was...
Crook County is calling for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to rethink its plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy for managing old-growth forests. In a comment letter signed by the county commissioners last week, the county criticizes the one-size-fits-all approach and the USFS’s failure to include local governments in the process. “Upon reading through it, it will affect all the National Forests in Wyoming, which includes the Black Hills; it will also include Thunder Basin National Gras...
The first significant fire of the year burned an area 42 acres in size on Monday afternoon. According to Fire Warden Charlie Harrison, a three-week-old burn pile on private land a mile to the west of Aladdin reignited at around 1 p.m. and took several hours to mop up. "It smoldered for a while and then got caught up in the wind yesterday," he says. Conditions are significantly dryer than usual at this time, he says, but the lack of moisture and winds can lead to dangerous situations....
Crook County Weed & Pest asks for members of the community who would be interested in a grasshopper program this year to attend a meeting later this month. To be held on February 19 at 6 p.m. and February 20 at 9 a.m. in the courthouse basement, the meetings will help Weed & Pest evaluate public interest in the program and construct a program for the year ahead. Discussions will include surveys, potential treatments, cost estimates, cost-share options and the next steps for the potential program. Contact Alycia or Sophie if you have any...
Site Name Elevation (ft.) Current Snow Depth (in.) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in.) 30-yr Median SWE Last Year’s SWE Current Percent of 30-Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 1.0 0.2 1.8 3.4 11 Blind Park Snotel 6870 11.0 2.1 4.7 5.3 45 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 8.0 2.1 3.2 4.5 66 Ditch Creek 6880 8.5 1.5 2.4 2.9 63 Little Bear Run 6240 3.7 0.6 2.7 3.3 22 Mallo 6420 10.6 2.0 4.7 5.9 43 Mount Tom 5560 9.0 1.0 3.3 4.4 30 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 3.8 4.7 4.6 81 Reuter Canyon 6280 4.4 0.9 6.0 7.3 15 Upper Spearfish 6500 9.7 1.5 4.0 5...
The Bear Lodge trail system sits unusable Tuesday as the area continues to experience unseasonably warm and dry conditions. Grooming, which is usually in full swing by the end of December, has not commenced this season due to the lack of snow. Crook County is currently once again listed as abnormally dry by the U.S. Drought Monitor, with significantly less precipitation than usual predicted for the next month....
Last winter killed most of western Wyoming's mule deer. That prompted calls to kill predators, and wildlife managers listened – even though there was little scientific support to prove it would work to bring deer back. Because of speculation that mountain lions would hold the deer population low, more were targeted – and killed – in the regions where winter hit mule deer the hardest. There were outfitter calls to kill more black bears, too, though the Wyoming Game and Fish Department did not u...
Over a weekend of life-threatening cold that saw weather warnings issued across most of the lower 48, local records were broken as the temperature kept right on dropping. The bitter temperatures were caused by Arctic air migrating down from Canada. Wind chills were low enough at times for frostbite to affect exposed skin within five to ten minutes. The lowest wind chills in Crook County were recorded on Saturday morning, just after 5 a.m., when Sundance and the area east of Pine Haven saw...
The county commissioners convened in a special meeting on Tuesday morning to approve a letter of comment on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rock Springs Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (RMP). The document has been controversial across Wyoming and, by approving the letter, the commission joined with the efforts of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association to push back against it. "It is clear that the draft Rock Springs RMP is critical for the economy and...
The University of Wyoming Extension will offer eight private pesticide applicator education programs at various locations in northeast Wyoming Jan. 25 through March 14, 2024. Private applicator licenses are required for anyone who applies or supervises the application of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs). The four-hour private applicator education programs provide an overview of certification requirements, pertinent regulations, pesticide safety and handling, proper disposal practices and more....
Winter took its time coming this year, but the snow made itself felt as the week began, ushering in frigid temps that promise to continue for the next few days....
On New Year's Day, Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites hosted a record number of participants during their annual First Day Hikes with 1132 attendees hiking more than 2000 miles. This reflects a 206% increase in participation from 2023. Locally, Keyhole State Park welcomed 48 hikers to the event. "Each year, our agency strives to enhance this annual event in ways that will continue to encourage both returning and first-time guests to join us outdoors for this special occasion, and we were,...
