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<h2>Wildlife Friendly Fencing</h2> <h3>Findings</h3> <p>Fencing can obstruct wildlife movement, causing harm to animals and damage to the fence. Wildlife friendly fencing aims to facilitate wildlife passage to their habitats and reduce injury and mortality. This type of fencing is designed to allow wildlife to jump over or pass under easily, minimize entanglement, and may include openings or wildlife passes. It also considers topography and placement to ensure safe passage around special purpose or barrier fencing.</p> <h3>Applicability</h3> <ol> <li>Repair or replacement of nonconforming fencing that doesn't meet the standards of this section is allowed under the following conditions:</li> <li>One-time repair of 25% or less of the total linear fence perimeter of each enclosure being repaired.</li> <li>Approval of a Special Purpose Fence Permit as outlined in this section.</li> <li>Exemptions for Wildlife Friendly Fencing include:</li> <li>Fences associated with agricultural use on sites of 70 acres or more, assessed by the Teton County Assessor, and used only for agricultural purposes.</li> <li>Fences built for riding arenas, which must have 12-foot wide gates at 2 ends that remain open for wildlife movement when not in use.</li> <li>Fences erected for exclusionary purposes of small areas such as around automatic trout feeders, apiaries, vegetable gardens, composting areas, haystacks, livestock feed storage, chicken yards, refuse facilities, recycling containers, dumpsters, ornamental landscaping areas directly adjacent to structures, safety fencing for a swimming pool and a single dog run not exceeding 200 square feet adjacent to a structure, and safety fencing not exceeding 800 square feet for yards directly adjacent and attached to a residence.</li> <li>Fences constructed for the containment of livestock which have been approved through a special purpose fence permit. Temporary, movable, single strand visible electric tape for livestock is permissible and is considered wildlife friendly.</li> <li>Fences erected to secure a construction site with an approved and active construction permit.</li> <li>Fencing constructed as a requirement of an approved habitat mitigation plan for protection of sensitive habitat areas which are temporary until establishment.</li> </ol> <h3>Fencing Design</h3> <p>Fencing materials and design should comply with the following standards: 1. Measurements: The top rail should be no higher than 38 inches above the ground for purposes other than livestock control, and no higher than 42 inches for livestock control. There should be no more than three horizontal strands/rails. Spacing between the top pole/rail and adjacent wire should be at least 12 inches. The distance between the bottom wire/rail and the ground should be no less than 18 inches. The spacing of fence posts should be a minimum of 12-foot centers unless topography prohibits this spacing. 2. Materials: Wood top poles, and either wood rails or wire strands are permitted as horizontal elements in fencing. Bare wire should not be used as the topmost horizontal strand. When using wire, the middle or bottom wire strands should be smooth or twisted wire. Barbed wire may be used in the middle strand when necessary to control livestock. Barbed wire is prohibited in the top and bottom strands of the fence. 3. Double Fences: The spacing between parallel fencing should be at least 30 feet to avoid trapping wildlife. 4. New buck and rail or buck and wire fencing is prohibited unless approved by the Planning Director through a Special Purpose Fencing Exemption. 5. Land disturbance and vegetation clearing for fence installation and repair should be minimal. 6. Fencing adjacent to a swale, gully, or other topographic feature should be designed to allow wildlife to safely cross. 7. Fences should not block the natural funneling of wildlife through canyons and areas such as swales, gullies, ridges, canals, streams or other topographic features.</p> <h3>Special Purpose Fencing</h3> <p>The Planning Director may exempt individual special purpose fencing from this section, provided the fencing meets the following standards: 1. Smallest area: The special purpose fencing should encompass the smallest area necessary to achieve the purpose. 2. Specific design: The applicant should demonstrate that the special purpose fencing is constructed for a particular use and requires a specific design to accomplish the purpose of the fence. 3. Height in yards: Special purpose fencing located in a street yard should not exceed 4 feet in height. Special purpose fencing located in a side or rear yard should not exceed 6 feet in height. 4. Setback: Special purpose fencing is not subject to a setback from property lines. 5. Rocky or wet soil: Buck and rail may be approved when the applicant demonstrates necessity due to rocky or wet soil. Buck and rail fencing should not exceed 38 inches in height for landscape, or 40 inches in height for livestock, to allow wildlife movement. 6. The Planning Director should consider other mitigation practices demonstrating improved wildlife passage such as drop down horizontal elements, open gates and other practices recommended by Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 7. Long expanses of special purpose fencing which is 120 feet or longer should include drop down or gaps to allow for wildlife passage through the area. 8. Landscape fencing should be of a sturdy material such as wire and should be properly maintained to not allow wildlife entanglement. 9. All standards for natural resource protection and wildlife movement as recommended by the Planning Director should be recorded in the permit.</p>
## Wildlife Friendly Fencing ### Findings Fencing can obstruct wildlife movement, causing harm to animals and damage to the fence. Wildlife friendly fencing aims to facilitate wildlife passage to their habitats and reduce injury and mortality. This type of fencing is designed to allow wildlife to jump over or pass under easily, minimize entanglement, and may include openings or wildlife passes. It also considers topography and placement to ensure safe passage around special purpose or barrier fencing. ### Applicability 1. Repair or replacement of nonconforming fencing that doesn't meet the standards of this section is allowed under the following conditions: - One-time repair of 25% or less of the total linear fence perimeter of each enclosure being repaired. - Approval of a Special Purpose Fence Permit as outlined in this section. 2. Exemptions for Wildlife Friendly Fencing include: - Fences associated with agricultural use on sites of 70 acres or more, assessed by the Teton County Assessor, and used only for agricultural purposes. - Fences built for riding arenas, which must have 12-foot wide gates at 2 ends that remain open for wildlife movement when not in use. - Fences erected for exclusionary purposes of small areas such as around automatic trout feeders, apiaries, vegetable gardens, composting areas, haystacks, livestock feed storage, chicken yards, refuse facilities, recycling containers, dumpsters, ornamental landscaping areas directly adjacent to structures, safety fencing for a swimming pool and a single dog run not exceeding 200 square feet adjacent to a structure, and safety fencing not exceeding 800 square feet for yards directly adjacent and attached to a residence. - Fences constructed for the containment of livestock which have been approved through a special purpose fence permit. Temporary, movable, single strand visible electric tape for livestock is permissible and is considered wildlife friendly. - Fences erected to secure a construction site with an approved and active construction permit. - Fencing constructed as a requirement of an approved habitat mitigation plan for protection of sensitive habitat areas which are temporary until establishment. ### Fencing Design Fencing materials and design should comply with the following standards: 1. Measurements: The top rail should be no higher than 38 inches above the ground for purposes other than livestock control, and no higher than 42 inches for livestock control. There should be no more than three horizontal strands/rails. Spacing between the top pole/rail and adjacent wire should be at least 12 inches. The distance between the bottom wire/rail and the ground should be no less than 18 inches. The spacing of fence posts should be a minimum of 12-foot centers unless topography prohibits this spacing. 2. Materials: Wood top poles, and either wood rails or wire strands are permitted as horizontal elements in fencing. Bare wire should not be used as the topmost horizontal strand. When using wire, the middle or bottom wire strands should be smooth or twisted wire. Barbed wire may be used in the middle strand when necessary to control livestock. Barbed wire is prohibited in the top and bottom strands of the fence. 3. Double Fences: The spacing between parallel fencing should be at least 30 feet to avoid trapping wildlife. 4. New buck and rail or buck and wire fencing is prohibited unless approved by the Planning Director through a Special Purpose Fencing Exemption. 5. Land disturbance and vegetation clearing for fence installation and repair should be minimal. 6. Fencing adjacent to a swale, gully, or other topographic feature should be designed to allow wildlife to safely cross. 7. Fences should not block the natural funneling of wildlife through canyons and areas such as swales, gullies, ridges, canals, streams or other topographic features. ### Special Purpose Fencing The Planning Director may exempt individual special purpose fencing from this section, provided the fencing meets the following standards: 1. Smallest area: The special purpose fencing should encompass the smallest area necessary to achieve the purpose. 2. Specific design: The applicant should demonstrate that the special purpose fencing is constructed for a particular use and requires a specific design to accomplish the purpose of the fence. 3. Height in yards: Special purpose fencing located in a street yard should not exceed 4 feet in height. Special purpose fencing located in a side or rear yard should not exceed 6 feet in height. 4. Setback: Special purpose fencing is not subject to a setback from property lines. 5. Rocky or wet soil: Buck and rail may be approved when the applicant demonstrates necessity due to rocky or wet soil. Buck and rail fencing should not exceed 38 inches in height for landscape, or 40 inches in height for livestock, to allow wildlife movement. 6. The Planning Director should consider other mitigation practices demonstrating improved wildlife passage such as drop down horizontal elements, open gates and other practices recommended by Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 7. Long expanses of special purpose fencing which is 120 feet or longer should include drop down or gaps to allow for wildlife passage through the area. 8. Landscape fencing should be of a sturdy material such as wire and should be properly maintained to not allow wildlife entanglement. 9. All standards for natural resource protection and wildlife movement as recommended by the Planning Director should be recorded in the permit.