Legislation would expand Medicine Lodge
Wyoming State Park would gain 52 acres from Game & Fish HYATTVILLE – A new bill presented to the Wyoming Legislature would effectively increase the size of the Medicine Lodge State Archeological Site, north of Hyattville, currently part of the state parks system.
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Tracie Mitchell
Pending legislation, Hyattville's Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site could gain an additional 52 acres.
Wyoming State Park would gain 52 acres from Game & Fish
HYATTVILLE – A new bill presented to the Wyoming Legislature would effectively increase the size of the Medicine Lodge State Archeological Site, north of Hyattville, currently part of the state parks system.
"Ultimately, the bill would expand the boundary of the park, to increase visitation and to add more campsites," explained Medicine Lodge Superintendent Brooks Jordan.
Under the bill (Senate File 005), Medicine Lodge would gain 52 acres from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, specifically, "A parcel of land of approximately ten (10) acres in Dry Fork canyon; A parcel of land of approximately fourteen (14) acres of the pasture parcel in the hay meadow; A parcel of land of approximately twenty-eight (28) acres west of park headquarters."
Originally purchased in 1972 by Game and Fish, the Medicine Lodge Wildlife habitat Management Area consisted of 12,000 acres, including the archeological site. Later, the archeological site, home to petroglyphs and native ceremonial sites, was put under control of the state parks department.
In April 2017, a combined committee from the Wyoming State Parks and Game and Fish departments conducted an independent review of the holdings, and presented their recommendations, to expand Medicine Lodge, to the state's Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Interim Committee in August.
"The land itself is already public," said Jordan, "the ownership will remain with Game and Fish, but should give us some room for expansion."
In addition to camping areas, Jordan noted that expanded trails will be built on the new land. There are no plans for permanent structures at this time, should the bill pass.
The 2018 Budget Session of the Wyoming Legislature begins Feb. 12 in Cheyenne. Bills that have been pre-filed can be found on the legislative website.
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Online: Wyoming Legislature http://legisweb.state.wy.us
