Wyoming State Parks seeking public input on High Plains Arboretum

Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails is seeking public input on the management of the High Plains Arboretum and surrounding resources as a State Historic Site.

The public is invited to join State Parks and the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens for a talk on the history and proposed management of the High Plains Research Station and Arboretum on Tuesday, January 16 at 7 p.m. in the Wyoming State Museum classroom.

Deputy Director Nick Neylon, Planning Manager Carly-Ann Carruthers, and District Manager Christina Bird with State Parks will be joined by Jessica Friis, a Horticulturalist with the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.

Located off of Roundtop Road, the former Cheyenne Horticultural Field Station was founded in 1928 by the United States Department of Agriculture on 2,140 acres of land owned by the City of Cheyenne and leased to the USDA. Buildings on the Station were designed by prominent Cheyenne architect William Dubois, and the Civilian Conservation Corps developed many features of the station in the 1930s.

The Station was essential for research and development of hardy trees, shrubs, fruits, and vegetables. Plant varieties and shelterbelt research from this time impacted communities and ranches locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally.

In 1974, the mission of the Station changed from horticultural research to livestock grazing management, mined land reclamation, and water conservation research. Critical agricultural research at the site continues to have wide-reaching impacts. In the spring of 2023, the City of Cheyenne requested that Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites, and Trails evaluate the potential to operate the site as a State Historic Site.

Wyoming State Parks and the Wyoming Legislature will consider a bill at the upcoming session to manage 877 acres of the historic USDA Field Station footprint and City of Cheyenne property, including the water treatment plant resources on Round Top Hill, stone terraces and the Round Top camp built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, much of the footprint of the original USDA Horticultural Field Station including several historic buildings, and an arboretum and living collection of historic trees.

Operating the site as a State Historic Site would allow for continued use of the property by key partners like the City of Cheyenne, the USDA, the National Cemetery, and the Girl Scouts.

For more information on the site or the upcoming talk, or to provide input on the project, please contact District Manager Christina Bird at 307-631-1110, Christina.Bird@wyo.gov, or Planning Manager Carly-Ann Carruthers at 307-777-6968, CarlyAnn.Carruthers@wyo.gov.