Murdock Land & Livestock - and - Wapika Ranch

Dollar Lake Fire

540Herd size

Halter — Beef BaseVF system

2026Using VF since

Wildlife & Conservation

This project will use virtual fences to prevent livestock access to the Dollar Lake burn perimeter, implement a grazing plan per the Annual Operating Instructions, detect depredation from grizzly bears and wolves, and enhance management of livestock throughout the grazing season.

Goals

Post-wildfire landscape recovery implementing a 2-year livestock deferment in the burn area and observations/awareness of predation events and livestock response.

Ranch

On 22 August 2025, the Dollar Lake Fire ignited on the Bridger-Teton National Forest. When contained a month later, the fire perimeter encompassed approximately 19,466 acres of United States Forest Service (USFS) property in the Upper Green River area of Sublette County, Wyoming. Two-thirds of the perimeter is within the Gypsum Creek pasture system of the Upper Green C&H grazing allotment. Because the wildfire did not burn the entire pasture system, the USFS will allow livestock grazing on those acres adjacent to the burn, provided that virtual fence is used to exclude cattle from entering the area burned.

This allotment is also home to both wolves and grizzly bears, species known to depredate cattle and create conflict with ranching operations. Because virtual fencing offers the ability to allow for adequate fire recovery, manage predator conflicts, and maintain conservation values, the Ricketts Conservation Foundation (RCF) values the opportunity to work with the affected producers and partners to achieve these goals.