The expanses of rolling terrain, meandering rivers and diverse wildlife are some of Wyoming’s most majestic features.
They are the very treasures that Devon Energy is working to protect through a long-term partnership with the Wyoming Conservation Corps (WCC) at the University of Wyoming.
Nick Agopian, senior government and regulatory affairs specialist for Devon, oversees the partnership and leads interdisciplinary teams of WCC students, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff and Devon employees in completing projects that will help support the environment.
Devon’s support over the past five years has helped the WCC provide 130,000 hours of student service devoted solely to Wyoming’s public lands. WCC students receive three college credit hours for their work, in addition to the career-enhancing experience working on the interdisciplinary team.
Devon’s relationship with WCC reflects the company’s commitment to education and the environment and advances the company’s desire to educate and work with the general public and key stakeholders. For Agopian, this project is a uniquely personal mission he worked to establish in 2006 as a second-year student at the University of Wyoming College of Law.
Now, as a Devon employee, he is carrying his work forward.
“This program helps introduce students to a variety of natural resource management issues including grazing, water, wildlife, energy and forestry,” he said. “It also gives students a firsthand look at how energy companies work in collaboration with land managers to preserve the environment.”
WCC projects are identified by BLM staff to address specific needs across the region. Devon has provided ongoing funding for projects and educational opportunities for WCC crews, including field tours and fence training courses. The company has donated vehicles and other equipment to the organization. In addition, as many as 25 Devon ambassadors work alongside field staff from BLM and the WCC student crews each year.
“Devon employees have fully embraced this program,” said Agopian. “Whether helping out on projects or participating in trainings or field tours, they are literally in the trenches with the team.”
One of the more recent examples of the partnership at work has taken place in a central Wyoming valley near East Sage Hen Creek. WCC crews, including BLM staff and Devon volunteers, have worked together to construct a buck-and-rail livestock enclosure. This structure is designed to keep grazing animals, such as cattle and horses, away from the creek, making it possible for the return of cold-water fish and beavers.
In 2010, the Devon, WCC and BLM team removed an eight-mile section of woven-wire fencing that hampered deer and elk migration north of Baggs, Wyo.
“This is a great partnership and investment for Devon,” said Agopian. “We are able to provide WCC students – our future leaders and natural resources stewards – with an introduction to responsible energy development, while providing additional resources for the BLM.”
Agopian also finds tremendous value in working side-by-side with the BLM because it creates opportunities for positive dialogue about unmet needs and common goals.
“We have developed a solid business model that allows us to engage our employees and have a substantive impact on the region, while further developing our relationships with stakeholders and regulators,” Agopian said.
“This program is a win-win all around, particularly for the state of Wyoming and the natural resources we are all working to protect.”