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1) March
11 Hoback Wells comment deadline coming up fast • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1) March 11 Hoback Wells comment deadline coming up fast The deadline to submit comments on Plains Exploration and Production Company’s proposal to drill 136 natural gas wells in the pristine Noble Basin area of Bridger-Teton National Forest is March 11. This drilling plan threatens to transform prime wildlife habitat in the Upper Hoback -- just 40 miles southeast of Jackson -- into an industrial web of roads and well pads. This could harm Jackson Hole’s air quality and our wildlife, many of which rely on this area for migration corridors and as a place to bear their young. Pollution of the headwaters of the Hoback River is also a concern. If you haven’t already done so, NOW is the time to let Bridger-Teton officials know that this area must be protected. You can take this two-part approach: 1) Support Alternative E -- the buy-out option to retire these leases. The Upper Hoback is too special to drill. Congress recognized this when it passed the Wyoming Range Legacy Act and withdrew these lands from future oil and gas leasing. The act created a market-based solution for existing leases, and this option can be a win-win for both the company and the public. 2) Tell the Bridger-Teton that in the event a buy-out fails, the agency must revise the project’s draft environmental impact statement by including a much stronger conservation alternative than Alternatives C or D. THE DAMAGE FROM A FULL-FIELD INDUSTRIAL GAS DEVELOPMENT IN THIS SPECIAL PLACE CAN NEVER BE FULLY MITIGATED. If Plains refuses to negotiate a buy-out, then the Forest Service must require the very toughest standards to ensure that air and water quality, and wildlife and backcountry values are safeguarded. At a minimum, that means gathering baseline data, requiring phased development and using the most advanced drilling technologies. Public comments on the draft EIS are due by March 11, 2011. The analysis is available by clicking here. You can mail your comments to Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor Jacqueline A. Buchanan, P.O. Box 1888, Jackson, WY 83001, or email them to comments-intermtn-bridger-teton-big-piney@fs.fed.us with the subject line “Eagle Prospect and Noble Basin MDP DEIS.” Have questions or need assistance with your comments?
Here’s some help: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 2) Airport safety study, possible sale of school parcels lead Teton Park news AIRPORT SAFETY AUDIT RECOMMENDS EXTENDING ‘OVERRUN’ AT SOUTH END OF RUNWAY: A recent safety audit of Jackson Hole Airport includes a recommendation to add 700 feet to the existing 300-foot-long paved safety apron at the south end of the runway. Such overrun areas are meant to be used only in emergencies; they are not intended to permit larger aircraft to take off and land here than what’s currently allowed. However, weighing travelers’ safety and convenience against the impacts of the airport’s increasing development footprint in Grand Teton National Park is a continuing challenge. Community members will have a chance to find out details about this and the audit’s other safety suggestions at a public meeting on March 8, 4 to 6 p.m. at Snow King Resort’s Timberline Room. GOV. SIGNS BILL ALLOWING SALE OF SCHOOL INHOLDINGS TO PARK, BUT CONGRESS COOL ON FUNDING: In February, following many efforts by Teton County legislators and others, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead signed a bill allowing the state to sell 1,405 acres of school trust lands to the Interior Department for inclusion in Grand Teton National Park. Since these are parcels that could otherwise end up being developed, it’s key for the federal government to work out a payment plan, but the nation’s budget woes may throw a wrench into the works. Please consider urging Wyoming’s Congressional delegation to seek the $107 million it will take to buy and protect these inholdings in Teton Park, while benefiting the state’s schools. Contact information for Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi and Rep. Cynthia Lummis is available at www.jhalliance.org/takeactioncontacts.htm. For a map of the parcels and some background info, click here. PARK SEEKS SCOPING COMMENTS ON HISTORIC PROPERTIES: Grand Teton National Park officials are developing a plan to determine how 14 historic properties in the park should be managed, with options ranging from restoration to stabilization to removal of structures. For details, visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov and click on “Historic Properties Management Plan.” Comments to help refine the scope of the plan are due by March 11.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 3) Long-awaited National Forest planning rule is out; comments due May 16 In February, the National Forest Service released new proposed rules that will determine how and for what purposes America’s forests will be managed for years to come. Officials also released a draft environmental impact statement on the rules, and this means that we have yet another chance to tell them that we want the health and vitality of wildlife and their habitat to take precedence over extractive uses, such as energy development, mining, logging and grazing. Information on the proposed rules and how you can comment on them is available at http://fs.usda.gov/planningrule. Hopefully, this process will result in a new plan that will remove uncertainties about how to approach forest planning -- uncertainties that have stalled revisions to the Bridger-Teton National Forest’s more than 20-year-old management plan. Michael Schrotz of the B-T says that people are welcome to view a televised conference regarding the new rules on March 24 at the supervisor’s office, 340 N. Cache St. The conference will be aired in two sessions, from 2 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m. Click here for more information. Meanwhile, the Shoshone National Forest is going ahead and restarting the process of revising its management plan. Forest officials are holding meetings in early March; the nearest to Jackson is March 1, 6 to 8 p.m. in Dubois at the Headwaters Art and Convention Center, 20 Stainaker St. Visit http://fs.usda.gov/shoshone and click on “Forest Plan Revision” for details.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 4) Electeds’ review of draft Comp Plan continues with meetings March 7 & 8 The Jackson Town Council and Teton Board of County Commissioners began their official review of the draft Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan on Feb. 15 by agreeing to a schedule of nine more meetings through June. It’s available at www.jacksontetonplan.com, where you can file written comments at any time. They also decided to drop the Future Land Use Plan section of the draft and replace it with information on yet-to-be-defined “character districts.” Discussion about what those districts will entail is tentatively expected to start in July. Click here for a summary of what went on during the rest of the hearing. Four meetings are set for March: March 7, 1 to 5 p.m., Comprehensive Plan Joint
Information Meeting #2 March 8, 5 to 9 p.m., Comprehensive Plan JIM #3 March 24, 8 a.m. to noon, Comprehensive Plan JIM
#4; March 25, 8 a.m. to noon, Comprehensive Plan JIM
#5 In our verbal comments on Feb. 15, the Alliance outlined several key items that we believe the electeds must address during their review. Click here to read about our concerns, and please consider speaking up at the March 8 hearing to share yours. Meanwhile, as this review process moves forward, the Alliance remains committed to working for a plan that upholds the community’s vision, and protects our wildlife and natural resources. Please click here for links to all of our comments on the Comp Plan revision. For background information, click here and here. And please remember -- even though the electeds are not allowing public comment during most of their Comp Plan meetings, you can call or write them at any time to let them know what you think. Please click here for their contact info. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 5) Other town and county planning items In addition to the Comp Plan hearings noted above, here’s a partial roundup of more community planning matters, but please keep in mind that all meetings are subject to change. Call the Town of Jackson at (307) 733-3932, Teton County at (307) 733-8094, or reach Becky Tillson at Rebecca@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417 for confirmation. Also, this list isn’t exhaustive, since many meeting agendas aren’t finalized until shortly before the meetings take place. Check back or visit www.ci.jackson.wy.us and www.tetonwyo.org for updates. If you’d like to comment on any of these items, contact information for all local public officials is available at www.jhalliance.org/takeactioncontacts.htm. MARCH 7 JOINT INFORMATION MEETING MOVED UP TO FEB. 28: In late February, the town and county elected officials decided to reschedule their March JIM to Feb. 28 to avoid a conflict with the March 7 Comp Plan meeting. On Feb. 28, the electeds heard about a recent safety audit of Jackson Hole Airport (see AA item #2 above), and assigned duties to the Natural Resources Technical Advisory Board. Encouragingly, the electeds authorized the NRTAB to start work on developing an accurate picture of the habitat that the valley’s wildlife species depend on. The Alliance is gratified to see that the electeds are upholding the role of this volunteer environmental board to interpret existing science on the health of the area’s ecosystem, identify data gaps, analyze existing policy, and work with planning staff to improve policies to protect the valley’s wildlife and other natural resources. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO REVIEW WILSON MIXED-USE PROPOSAL MARCH 1: Teton Board of County Commissioners hearing, 9 a.m., County commissioners’ chambers, 200 S. Willow. (UPDATE: This review was continued to March 15, same time and location as the March 1 hearing.) On Jan. 24, the county planning commissioners revisited their review of a mixed-use project slated for a 2-acre property just west of Nora's in Wilson. The parcel includes Edmiston Spring Creek running through its western portion, and the proposed development falls within the 30-foot setback of the adjacent property's wetlands. This is the first project to come in under the county's relatively new Wilson Commercial Zoning District, which was approved in 2008. Planning commissioners recommended approval of the project 5-0, with a number of conditions. However, the complications of this review raised some interesting questions about the new zoning district. A key issue is the applicant's desire to produce residential units (most of which are only enabled by the new Wilson commercial zoning) without having to develop the commercial units at the same time. This goes against the intent of the new zoning district. Also, this project represents a shift to a greater development intensity than currently exists south of Hwy. 22. In the Wilson area, lands south of the highway include sensitive habitat for a number of wildlife species, and the type and overall amount of future development there is likely to be a central part of discussions during the Comp Plan review. The county commissioners are set to discuss the project on March 1; the staff report is available by clicking here. For the Alliance’s detailed comments on this project, please click here. TOWN EXTENDS MORATORIUM ON USE OF PLANNED MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT TOOL TO APRIL 2012: On Feb. 22, the Jackson Town Council unanimously decided to extend a moratorium on large mixed-use developments for a year beyond the original April 2011 end date. For years, the Alliance and others have supported abolishing the PMD because it typically allows too much development potential in return for too little community benefit. Also, the fact that town councilors were approving PMDs during the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan revision was contributing to development pressures that undermined that process. A Comp Plan can’t protect something that’s already gone. (Please click here for our in-depth report, and click here for comments the Alliance made during the Feb. 22 meeting.) Fortunately, although the councilors didn’t decide to abolish the tool, they did agree that extending the moratorium on it should allow themselves enough time to finish reviewing the draft Comp Plan before tackling the PMD again.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 6) Late winter’s the toughest time for wildlife It may seem like spring is just around the corner, but March and April are when many of the valley’s wildlife species are the most vulnerable. A long winter of deep snow, scarce food and cold temperatures means their reserves are now at their lowest point, and wasting energy to avoid people and dogs can kill them. Please help our elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep and other creatures survive by staying out of closed areas. Click here for the maps. Don’t forget, “poaching” closed areas on foot or with dogs, skis, snowboards or snowmachines can be as harmful to wildlife as poaching with a rifle. Remember, too, that avalanches remain a hazard for recreationists throughout the winter -- before venturing into the backcountry, please be sure to check conditions at www.jhavalanche.org/advisories.php. This year’s heavy snows have also led more wildlife to move to the valley floor, increasing the risk of drivers hitting them. For your safety and theirs, please slow down and keep a sharp eye out, especially if you’re traveling two of the worst stretches: Broadway along Karns Meadow and Saddle Butte, and Jackson South Highway 89 from High School Road to Game Creek.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 7) Join our Yellowstone wolf-viewing trip this spring! From May 13 to 15, renowned filmmaker and wildlife biologist Franz Camenzind and Taylor Phillips, owner of EcoTour Adventures, will lead a springtime journey into two of the most spectacular parks of the world. This is your chance to explore Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks with knowledgeable guides during what many consider the best time of the year for spotting wildlife. Only nine participants can go, so sign up early to save your place! The deadline for reservations is April 22. The excursion will highlight the season’s newborn life, some of the best geothermal features of the area and Yellowstone’s Lamar Valley -- the prime wolf-viewing spot in North America. All of the profits from this fundraising trip will go to support the work of the Alliance. For more details, please click here for our flier, or contact Heather Mathews at Heather@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 8) Coming Events Wednesday, March 16 Wednesday, March 23 Tuesday, March 29 Friday, April 1 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 9) Valley Voices “There is a moral duty to be optimistic. And that is very important also in politics.” - Kris Peeters, Minister-President of Flanders, Belgium
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alliance Action is a publication of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance. The Conservation Alliance is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to responsible land stewardship in Jackson Hole to ensure that human activities are in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic, and other natural resources. We’re located at 685 South Cache Street in Jackson, Wyoming. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 2728, Jackson, WY 83001-2728 and our phone number is (307) 733-9417. If you'd like to sign up to receive our monthly Alliance Action via email, please click here. |
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