Many things that were here then are still here now. Sagebrush is still here, and sage sparrows still nest in its branches. Sage grouse still nest in tall prairie grasses near sagebrush plants, and pronghorn antelope still feed on tender sagebrush shoots. Over 250 species of wildlife still freely range across the sage-covered plains.

Despite their lasting wildness, the basins and prairies of Wyoming have not totally escaped change. The bison, wolf and grizzly bear are gone forever, never to return. The black-footed ferret, which once stalked through vast prairie dog towns in search of food, was nearly wiped out but may return to once again hunt the basin.

In fulfilling our present and future needs, we must not forget about the needs of the sagebrush, the little sage sparrow, the sage grouse and the pronghorn antelope. We are all interconnected to the land and water—we have to remember that their destiny is ours.