Grant Boosts FOAL's Efforts to Promote Wild Horse Conservation

Friends of a Legacy (FOAL), an advocacy group dedicated to the preservation of wild horses in the McCullough Peaks, has recently been awarded a $5,000 grant from the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), sponsored by Toyota. This grant aims to expand FOAL's supporter base and enhance its outreach efforts.

Expanding Outreach and Partnerships

FOAL collaborates with the Cody Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to benefit approximately 150 wild horses roaming the 110,000-acre Herd Management Area near Cody. The NEEF grant will enable FOAL to reach new audiences through various media channels, sharing stories of successful partnerships that protect and preserve the mustangs, a symbol of the American West.

“The ‘capacity-building’ grant from NEEF will help FOAL reach new audiences through local, state, and national media by sharing the stories about our successful partnerships to protect and preserve the mustang, a symbol of the American West,” said Warren Murphy, president of the FOAL board.

The National Environmental Education Foundation is dedicated to fostering environmental education across all ages and segments of the American public. It provides capacity-building grants to organizations like FOAL to help them expand their reach.

Local Impact and Media Engagement

Marion Morrison, FOAL's executive director, highlighted that portions of the grant will be used locally for media preparations in collaboration with the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce and Wyoming Public Media. FOAL is developing a marketing and communications plan that includes traditional and social media to highlight cooperative efforts, such as a water augmentation project benefiting all wildlife in the Herd Management Area.

“Marathon Oil Co. has been an invaluable partner in this water project, supplemented with funds from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust,” Murphy noted.

FOAL also supports the BLM's fertility control program, maintains vital reservoirs for mustangs and other wildlife, and manages invasive species along Dry Creek.

Promoting Successful Partnerships

FOAL's stories of successful public-private partnerships will be featured in the Cowboy & Indians summer travel special edition, on Wyoming Public Radio, and at the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce visitor center. Morrison emphasized the importance of cooperation between groups and the positive economic impact of increased tourism awareness.

“The partnership between FOAL, the BLM, and Marathon is a new paradigm offering a very functional, economic solution to a national issue,” Morrison said.

For more information, visit the Cody Enterprise.