CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo., - Operating in the least developed state
helped the Wyoming National Guard become a state of experts in dealing with
some of the most abundant collections of natural and cultural resources in
the nation.
The Cowboy State's programs garnered national awards from the U.S. Department
of Defense, and convinced the National Guard Bureau to host its national
Natural and Cultural Resources Workshop along the state's high plains.
"It was a no-brainer to select Wyoming as the location," said Beth Erickson,
branch chief for Army National Guard Headquarters, as she toured ruts left by
wagon trains on the Oregon Trail.
The August conference allowed each state and territory's natural and cultural
resources staffs to exchange ideas, learn from the host state's best
practices, and deal directly with NGB representatives on unresolved issues.
Michael Petkerkin, the natural resources manager for the Indiana Army
National Guard's Camp Atterbury, said networking with NGB is exactly why he
attended the conference.
"I'm looking for a better understanding of National Guard Bureau guidelines
as to how to run our natural resources program," he said.
"You can do some of that stuff on the phone, but not to the degree that we
can here," Erickson said, noting that there were about 75 representatives of
states, territories, and other federal agencies at this year's conference.
For the Wyoming hosts, the goal was to showcase some of the state's untouched
natural and cultural resources.
Lt. Col. Samuel House, the environmental program manager for the Wyoming Army
National Guard, said it is a workshop that is nearly unparalleled in the
lower 48 states.
"Wyoming has its own culture and it's something that I wanted to show,
because it was something unique to me when I first came here," he said, while
hiking the Oregon Trail with other conference goers.
At the peak of the historical marker along the trail, one can look out and
see a landscape almost devoid of development. It's a sight, House said, that
probably resembled what the settlers saw as they crossed through.
However, a quick turn provides a sight filled with military power. The
Wyoming National Guard's Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center's cantonment
area, filled with its historic Works Progress Administration buildings,
provided a reminder of how settlers and the military worked hand-in-hand.
Erickson said the job of military historical and cultural resources staffs
involve finding the balance between providing the training and safety of the
nation's military and documenting and protecting what was there before.
"It's just to learn how we can be good stewards to the environment, as well
as our mission of readiness," she said.
The Wyoming crew took their mission to achieve balance and turned it into a
program worthy of the Department of Defense's Cultural Resources Management
Award, received in June. The Wyoming Guard earned the award by working to
protect sensitive Native American cultural sites, and 19th and 20th century
cultural resources