In a 2/20/21 Casper Star Tribune opinion piece Wyoming’s most trusted wildlife biologists, with decades of experience working for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, noted that, “Over the last century, science has proven beyond any doubt that energy development degrades or destroys habitat and displaces many species of native wildlife. The list of studies emphasizing this point would fill a book. Consider the effects of the Jonah Field and the Mesa development south of Pinedale as just one example. Mule deer herds that used these areas as winter range have declined markedly while herds in adjacent habitats have fared much better. Pronghorns have changed their migration routes to avoid the oil fields. Sage grouse in the area have been decimated. Even populations of nongame birds like the sage thrasher and Brewer’s sparrow have been affected.”