PINEDALE - Burnt Lake and Half Moon Lake in the Wind River Mountains sit not too far from two of the biggest natural gas fields in the world - the Pinedale Anticline and the Jonah fields in Sublette County.

The location makes it an ideal place for a proposed educational program that aims to both train and expose students to a variety of professions in outdoor recreation and natural resources management, officials involved in the effort said.

Mike Kaul spearheads a group of area residents who are proposing to combine the closed Half Moon Lake Resort and little-used Burnt Lake recreation site into a joint educational outdoor facility.

The Half Moon Lake Resort/Burnt Lake Educational Project would complement many of the values and lifestyles in the region, including tourism and the energy industry, he said.

"The emphasis will be placed on studying the natural environment in a pristine venue … and to develop educational training programs related to tourism," said Kaul, a fly fishing guide for Two Rivers Emporium in Pinedale.

The juxtaposition of the natural science laboratory provided by the Wind River Mountains with the two world-class gas fields should offer an "extraordinary opportunity for environmental studies," Kaul said. "It's just such a win-win deal."

The Skinner family in Pinedale operated the Skinner Brothers Wilderness Schools at their Burnt Lake camp for 50 years, until the site was purchased by Vic McMurry. Most of the buildings were removed in recent years in order to reclaim the site.

The nearby Half Moon Lake Resort operated for many years - most recently under the ownership of McMurry - under a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. The resort includes a renovated restaurant, cabins and marina.

The resort, which has been sitting idle for several years, is the only commercial facility located on the lake. Prior to closing, McMurry incorporated the Burnt Lake camp into the Half Moon resort's outfitter operations.

"Last fall, (McMurry) wanted to market those properties and we kind of came up with the idea that maybe the educational route might be better than trying to sell them commercially or as a commercial venture," Kaul said.

Small footprint

Kaul said the idea is to develop educational, performance-orientated training programs related to outdoor recreation, natural resources management and tourism.

Programs and courses would be developed that relate to outdoor recreation management, culinary cooking arts, guest ranch and resort management, and natural resources.

The curriculum would provide hands-on training in all facets of outdoor recreation, including classes in business, accounting, personnel management, marketing, natural and environmental science, and regulatory requirements.

Kaul said natural and environmental science programs and classes would be made available to local and regional high schools and college students in area communities.

The program would be operated by Sublette County School District No. 1 BOCES in Pinedale and Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs.

Students and faculty would run the Half Moon Lake/Burnt Lake operations and students who complete the program would receive an associate degree in recreation resource management.

Kaul said one of the goals of the program is to make a very small "footprint" on local public lands by making use of the existing facilities at Burnt Lake and Half Moon Lake.

"The Half Moon resort would be kind of a fixed base that operates year round and Burnt Lake … would be a seasonal type of thing," he said.

The facilities would also be opened to the public for recreational activities in accordance with Forest Service policy. Students and faculty would become the concessionaires at the sites. Local service businesses would be able to use the school's resources for training and recruiting employees as well.

Kaul estimated it would take about $6 million to acquire the facilities and begin the program.

"We see the funding coming from several sources … but what we're trying to do is keep this local in terms of funding as opposed to selling it out," he said.

"We want our kids to be able to participate in the these programs at the facility and not have to stand around with hat in hand asking some outside agency if they could have a few hours to run their science camp or something like that," Kaul said.

"It's a neat idea, but it's going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of stuff has to be done," he said. "But the idea I think is good and I think the money will chase it once we start getting some agencies and businesses enlightened about what the program is all about."

Southwest Wyoming Bureau reporter Jeff Gearino can be reached at 307-875-5359 or at gearino@tribcsp.com.