At a July meeting in Sheridan, Wyoming, three groups received special recognition for helping protect wildlife across the state. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department presented awards to Black Hills Energy, Safari Club International Foundation, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation for their conservation work.
Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce handed out the awards at the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's meeting. Black Hills Energy received the Industry Wildlife Stewardship Award, while Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) and the Wyoming Department of Transportation both earned the Excellence in Wildlife Conservation Award.
Black Hills Energy is a natural gas and electric company that serves Wyoming and seven other states. Bruce praised the company for going beyond what regulations require. "These conservation efforts by Black Hills Energy represent how this industry partner's commitment to responsible and meaningful wildlife stewardship goes well beyond that which is required by industry regulators," Bruce said.
One example is the Ready Wyoming electric transmission line project, which connects the Cheyenne area with substations near Glenrock. Before building new power lines, the company flew aircraft over the area to count sage-grouse and sharp-tailed grouse mating spots, along with raptor nests. This helped them plan routes that avoid these important wildlife areas. The company also voluntarily stopped construction work during winter in areas where pronghorn and mule deer need to survive the cold months.
Black Hills Energy has also taken steps to protect birds. It built special platforms and boxes for osprey and owls to nest in, giving birds alternative places to raise their young near company equipment. The company even has a plan to help pollinators like bees and butterflies by planting the right flowers when construction is finished.
Nathan Groh, an environmental engineer at Black Hills Energy, said the partnership with Game and Fish matters to his team. "Everything we're doing as far as permitting and compliance strikes a balance between conservation and ensuring we're also following the rules," Groh said.
Safari Club International Foundation focused its efforts on keeping people safe around grizzly bears. The organization helped pay for bear spray training programs run by Game and Fish in spring and fall. At these events, visitors learned how to store food properly and use bear spray correctly from department and U.S. Forest Service experts. Participants even received cans of bear spray at no cost.
More than 12,000 people took part in these training programs in 2025. Maria Davidson, who leads the large carnivore program at SCIF, helped purchase thousands of bear spray canisters for practice and real use. She also funded a remote-control training bear and a trailer to transport equipment.
SCIF also paid for 40 bear-resistant food storage boxes installed at wildlife areas and campgrounds. Additionally, the foundation helped create three bear safety videos. One video shown at Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody was watched by over 72,000 travelers. Another played at gas station pumps across the region and reached more than 2 million people.
These awards show how businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies can work together to protect Wyoming's wildlife while keeping people safe in the outdoors.