conservation – Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society

Updated 09.24.26

Thanks to strong support from members and friends, the zone change* for the parcel adjacent to our beloved WHR was denied last evening by the City of Cheyenne Planning Commission. We thank the Planning Commission members for their willingness to listen to our story and for considering the value of this treasure to our community. They listened to us and heard our voices. Thank you to them, and to everyone who participated to date by writing or speaking.

So step #1 was successful … but the work continues and we will continue to need your help and support. Please consider attending/speaking/writing prior to the meeting on September 28th or October 12th. You can also comment about this project directly to the Planning staff by clicking here: https://connect.cheyennecity.org/j33808

Here is the letter that the CHPAS Board provided to Mayor Collins and members of Cheyenne City Council: CHPAS Board Letter to Mayor Collins and City Council

************Meeting Dates Remaining**************

Cheyenne City Council – Second Reading of Ordinance: September 28, 2026 6 p.m.

Public Services Committee: October 5, 2026

Cheyenne City Council – Final Consideration: October 12, 2026 6 p.m.

Our chapter is invested in our support of WHR and the environmental legacy that Dr. Hales gifted the entire Front Range for so many years.

Lorie Wayne Chesnut, Chapter President

* From City AG to City BP (Business Park)

**********************************************

Dear Members and Friends,

You may remember that our Mission Statement is as follows: The Cheyenne-High Plains Audubon Society promotes the conservation and appreciation of birds and wildlife through education, science, advocacy, and habitat stewardship in Southeast Wyoming.

To that end, we wish to inform you about a request for zoning change which we believe will be detrimental to our beloved Wyoming Hereford Ranch (WHR), an Important Bird Area (IBA). We are against this change and asking for your help.

On Tuesday, September 28^th at 6:00 p.m., the City of Cheyenne City Council will meet to consider changing a parcel of property adjacent to WHR from City AG to City BP (Business Park). The proposed use for the land is a data center. This property is approximately 74 acres and is located at the southeast corner of I-80 and Campstool Road. It is the only corner there not currently developed.

We are concerned about heavy machinery, traffic, and later, issues such as air and water quality, noise, and general disruption to the area. This location is approximately 0.2 miles from the IBA boundaries and residents.

Here is a link to the Staff Report for that request. You will see a map on the report that clearly delineates the land in question.

We ask that you contact your City Council members. If you are able to attend the meeting on Tuesday, September 28^th, we would welcome your participation.

Another way to comment is through the Planning website. Just click here (https://connect.cheyennecity.org/j33808) and you will be taken to the specific project.

If you write and/or speak, please focus on your birding experiences at WHR, how these experiences enrich your life and the lives of others, and support our goal of habitat stewardship of the IBA. We want to keep the focus on birds and their environment – setting ourselves apart from those who are merely frustrated by the data center influx in general.

If you have questions, please contact us at cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com.

Photo from Campstool Road looking east. Taken 09.04.26.

January 17, 9:00 a.m. – Field Trip: Raptor Alley, Nunn, CO
This is a free event open to the public. Everyone, no matter what your birding skills, is invited to join us.
We will meet at the Lions Park parking lot between the Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens and the picnic shelter. We will leave the park at 9:00 a.m. and drive to Nunn, CO, about 38 miles and 40 minutes south of Cheyenne. There we will meet at Soaring V Fuels, at the southwest corner of Weld County Road 100 and the South Greeley Highway. From there we will drive county roads looking for raptors.
We should see Red-tailed, Rough-legged and Ferruginous Hawks among others including Bald Eagles and a variety of smaller birds.

Bring lunch or snacks and water. Be sure to dress for variable weather. Bring binoculars and spotting scopes if you have them. The more eyes we have, the more birds we will see.
We should be back in Cheyenne no later than 4 p.m., but if you drive, you can leave whenever you need to.
If you are interested in going, contact Grant Frost, 307-343-2024, so that he has a list of those expected, and he can let you know if the plans change for any reason like bad weather. Please let him know if you will need a ride from Cheyenne and back.

January 20, 6:00 p.m. – Program: “Using Rejuvra to Manage Invasive Annual Grasses (Cheatgrass): Key Characteristics, Best Practices, and Encouraging Ecological Outcomes,” in the Cottonwood Room of the Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave, Cheyenne.
Rejuvra is a highly-effective pre-emergent herbicide for managing invasive annual grasses in rangelands and natural areas. This presentation will highlight key herbicide characteristics, introduce essential best practices for implementation, and review recent research demonstrating the ecological benefits associated with effective annual grass management.
Jake Courkamp (at right) is a range scientist working in the Restoration Ecology Lab at Colorado State University. His research and outreach activities focus on evaluating, refining, and advancing weed management practices, along with measuring the ecological outcomes associated with effective weed and invasive plant control.

Jan. 20 – No-host dinner with speaker Jake Courkamp at 4:30 p.m. at 2 Doors Down, 118 E. 17^th Street. Please RSVP Barb Gorges, 307-287-4952 or bgorges4@msn.com.

January 27, 6:00 p.m. – Monthly Board Meeting
Contact us, cheyenneaudubon@gmail.com, if you would like to attend and participate in helping to plan chapter activities, or if you are interested in volunteering in some of our activities. This meeting will be held at the Laramie County Library in the Windflower Room

January 30, 8:00 a.m. – Country Club Bird Survey
Contact Chuck Seniawski to be on his email notice list: 307-638-6519 or chuckski@aol.com. The count will start in the Country Club’s clubhouse’s main parking lot. These outings are free and open to everyone, but please let Chuck know you are coming.