Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance

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February 2012 Alliance Action

1) Please join us for gala "Art of Conservation" on Feb. 25!
2) B-T yanks proposed sale of public land near Wilson, expands options for Cache site
3) Wildlife updates
4) Add your two cents to Wyoming Legislature's debates
5) Work on second half of Comp Plan continues
6) More community planning news
7) Alliance seeks wildlands director
8) Coming Events
9) Valley Voices

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1) Please join us for gala "Art of Conservation" on Feb. 25!

You're invited to join us for a very special fundraising event on Feb. 25 to benefit the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and the Art Association of Jackson Hole. This gala reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. at Altamira Fine Art, 172 Center St., and features informal artist demonstrations and conversation, plus an auction of original work by attending renowned painters R. Tom Gilleon, Dwayne Harty, Marshall Noice, Amy Ringholz, Mary Roberson, Jared Sanders and Laurie Stevens, sculptor Greg Woodard, and photographer Tom Mangelsen.

Your $250 ticket enters you into drawings to win beautiful work by these artists, as well as a travel package to Santa Fe and other items. The event also features delicious appetizers by Bistro Catering. To reserve your spot, please contact Andrea Deaton at (307) 733-9417 or Andrea@jhalliance.org, or click here to purchase your ticket online. (Click here for an article about last year's inaugural Art of Conservation!)

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2) B-T yanks proposed sale of public land near Wilson, expands options for Cache site

In a welcome move, Bridger-Teton National Forest supervisor Jacque Buchanan recently decided not to sell any part of the Lee Administrative Site at the base of Teton Pass. Last year, officials proposed selling up to 40 acres of the 200-acre site to help pay for replacing and possibly relocating the present B-T headquarters on North Cache. Citing "an overwhelming response in opposition to the proposal," Buchanan withdrew the parcel from consideration in a Jan. 20 letter to regional forester Harv Forsgren. (Click here to read it, and here for links to background info.)

In related developments regarding the possible sale of part of the B-T's parcel on North Cache, Forest Service officials released a new alternative on Jan. 27 calling for selling up to 11 acres there to pay for new facilities. This supplement to the previous environmental assessment is available online by clicking here; comments are due by March 1. Written comments may be mailed to Forest Supervisor Jacque A. Buchanan, P.O. Box 1888, Jackson, WY 83001, or emailed to comments-intermtn-bridger-teton@fs.fed.us (with "Conveyance Project" in the subject line).

Money from the North Cache sale is expected to help pay for either renovating the existing headquarters in Jackson, or building new headquarters in Alpine. (Click here for the B-T's 56-page "preliminary project analysis" dated Jan. 3, 2012, that compares costs between the two options; this report states that both options "are viable and have equal advantages.")

Also, on Jan. 17, the Town of Jackson submitted an application asking the Forest Service for a "direct sale" of 10 acres of the North Cache site. In brief, town officials are offering to buy the acreage without it having to be auctioned, and depending on how all this plays out, it could mean that the land would remain in public hands. Whether the B-T headquarters would remain in Jackson or not is another story. (Click here for the Jan. 25 Jackson Hole News&Guide article about the town's application, and here for the application itself.) We'll keep you posted on this issue as it progresses, so please check back, or contact Alliance Program Director Louise Lasley at (307) 733-9417 or Louise@jhalliance.org for updates. (Click here for our letter to the editor regarding this issue that ran in the Feb. 8 News&Guide.)

Here are two more news items concerning the Bridger-Teton:

• Wild & Scenic Snake Headwaters – In March 2009, passage of the Craig Thomas Snake River Headwaters Legacy Act brought some 400 miles of the Snake and its tributaries under the protection of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Now, Bridger-Teton National Forest officials are working on plans to manage and protect the waterways covered by this legislation, and they’d like your help. Click here for a link to the B-T's January 2012 scoping document; comments on it are due by Feb. 3 to Attn. Sidney Woods, Bridger-Teton National Forest, P.O. Box 339, Afton, WY 83110, or email swoods@fs.fed.us.

• Hoback Wells update – The Feb. 1 Jackson Hole News&Guide reported that Citizens for the Wyoming Range and the Wyoming Outdoor Council have asked Bridger-Teton officials to honor a historic restriction on energy development that could substantially curtail Hoback Wells, a proposal to drill 136 natural gas wells only 40 miles southeast of Jackson in the pristine Noble Basin area. Click here for the article, titled "Limits sought on gas field," and here for an explanatory Feb. 3 letter by Dan Smitherman of Citizens for the Wyoming Range. For more details, click here for the Wyoming Outdoor Council's Dec. 22, 2011, letter to the B-T that asks the agency to abide by the 1947 "Jackson Hole Oil and Gas Lease Stipulation." For some background information, please click here for last month's Alliance Action item on Hoback Wells.

3) Wildlife updates

Illegal feeding of wildlife puts predators at risk – In response to fears that a family of cougars could endanger nearby residents and recreationists using the popular trails up Cache Creek, Wyoming Game and Fish personnel captured the mother on Jan. 23 and one kitten on the 29th, and plan to relocate them to the Lander area, along with the remaining kitten if they can catch it. (UPDATE: On Feb. 2, Game and Fish officials confirmed that they've captured two more kittens. Click here for the Feb. 3 Jackson Hole Daily article.) (SECOND UPDATE: The Feb. 6 Jackson Hole Daily reported that Game and Fish released all four cougars "in an undisclosed area between Lander and Rawlins" over the weekend.) Wildlife managers say that the cougars likely were lured to East Jackson by the ease of preying on deer that have become habituated after years of being fed by some residents. The Alliance believes this unfortunate incident should prompt the Town of Jackson, Teton County and Wyoming Game and Fish officials to work together to educate the public about – and enforce – regulations prohibiting the feeding of wildlife. In the wise words of "Far Afield" columnist Bert Raynes, "If we want to have wildlife – and around 85 percent of Jackson Hole residents have declared they do – then we humans have to learn to live with them."
Click here for our Jan. 30 letter regarding this issue, here for a Feb. 1 Jackson Hole News&Guide story, and here for a perspective by Rick Hopkins of The Cougar Fund. For an open letter from Craighead Beringia South about this topic, please click here.

Efforts to get safe wildlife crossings for Teton County roads continue – Interested members of the public are invited to attend the next meeting of the Safe Wildlife Crossings for Jackson Hole steering committee on Feb. 1, 2 p.m. at the Alliance office, 685 S. Cache. Everyone who wants to help keep wildlife and motorists in Jackson Hole safe is welcome! For more information, please contact Louise Lasley at (307) 733-9417 or Louise@jhalliance.org. You're also welcome to check out our recent study on wildlife crossings conducted by the Western Transportation Institute – click here to download the 8.8 mb PDF of the report, and here for some background information about it.

Wyoming Legislature to consider management plan for state's wolves – Endangered Species Act protections are still in place for wolves in Wyoming. However, this could change before too long because this past August, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials reached an agreement (contingent on approval from the state legislature, and on a federal delisting rule that's in the works) that would allow the state's wolves to be removed from protection. Essentially the proposed management plan would create a wolf trophy game zone in the northwest corner of Wyoming, but in the 88 percent of the state outside that zone, wolves would be considered predators and could be killed at any time, by any means, without a hunting license. Legislators are expected to vote on the wolf bill – SF41 – during the session that starts Feb. 13. Click here for a link to the bill, and see Alliance Action Item #4 below for ways you can let your representatives know what you think about it. For background information on this issue, please click here.

Please Don't Poach the Powder – As winter descends in earnest, remember: Jackson Hole’s snow and bitter cold are tough on wildlife, and having to avoid people and dogs makes it tougher. Please help our moose, elk, deer, bighorn sheep and other creatures survive by staying out of places that are closed to protect wildlife. Click here for the maps, and please remember to keep yourself safe, too – before venturing into the backcountry, be sure to check on avalanche conditions at www.jhavalanche.org or call the Avalanche Hotline at (307) 733-2664.

4) Add your two cents to Wyoming Legislature’s debates

The next session of the Wyoming Legislature is set to convene in Cheyenne on Feb. 13. Although this year is a budget session, the state legislators will also be considering a number of bills, and you can help inform their debates. Here’s how:
• The schedule for the session and all committee meetings will be posted and updated daily via http://legisweb.state.wy.us.
• This website is also where you can read and download the text of proposed legislation and track a bill’s status as it moves through the legislative process.
• Bills are listed on the website by subject and by who introduced it; you can also find out what committee the bill has been assigned to.
• Check the link “Schedules/Calendars/Meetings” (updated each afternoon during the session) to track when a bill might be heard in committee, or be headed to the house or senate floor.
• Timeliness is key. If you have something to say about a particular piece of legislation, contact your local state legislators and the chairperson of the committee involved right before they’re scheduled to take action on it. (Contact information is available by clicking here.)
• You can also call the Voter Hotline, on the days the legislature is in session, toll-free at (866) 996-8683 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to recommend a vote for or against a bill. Or, to leave a more detailed message, call the receptionist for the Senate at (307) 777-7711 or House at (307) 777-7852; send a fax to the attention of whatever legislator you designate at (307) 777-5466; or use the “Online Hotline” to express support for or opposition to an identified bill, and leave a short comment regarding the bill. (Comments are limited to 140 characters.) Click here for the online hotline form.
• Questions? Call the Legislative Service Office in Cheyenne at (307) 777-7881 for more information on how you can take part in Wyoming’s legislative process.
• Two other good sources for information are the Wyoming Conservation Voters website at www.wyovoters.org and the Equality State Policy Center website at www.equalitystate.org. See the Feb. 15 listing under Coming Events below for info on ESPC’s annual training for citizen lobbyists.

5) Work on second half of Comp Plan continues

It's been five long years since elected officials first began interviewing consultants to help with “updating” our community’s Comp Plan from 1994. Finally, this spring (most likely in May), the Jackson Town Council and Teton Board of County Commissioners are expected to formally adopt the new plan in its entirety. They'll then begin work on revising the land development regulations (LDRs) that will essentially serve to implement the plan. Before they can take that step, though, a few things need to happen.

First, the town and county planning commissions will meet jointly on Feb. 8 (5 to 9 p.m. at Snow King Resort’s Grandview Lodge) to certify the current draft of the character district map section of the plan, along with a list of their recommended changes. (Click here for a link to the staff report for this meeting, which was continued from Jan. 26. Click here to read the Feb. 1 Jackson Hole News&Guide's coverage of that hearing, and here for comments the Alliance made on Jan. 26. Click here for our verbal comments from the Feb. 8 hearing.) Planning staff will then rewrite this section based on the planning commissioners' recommendations, and send it to the town councilors and county commissioners in mid-March, at which point the electeds will take public comment and recommend any changes they'd like to see. Once those changes are incorporated, the entire Comp Plan (consisting of the maps and the already approved vision and policies section) will be adopted.

The work to implement the plan will then begin in earnest, in the form of studies, data gathering and updates to the LDRs. It's only at that stage that our community will see if and how the goals of the plan – protecting Jackson Hole's wildlife and quality of life – can be achieved.

To add some clarity to this process, the Alliance has asked for a detailed Implementation Plan to be approved along with the Comp Plan. This Implementation Plan must outline the tasks that need to be completed; identify which LDRs should be prioritized for updating; and specify the budgets, responsible parties and timelines associated with the work. This will be a key component in the success of this planning process, and we expect to see at least a draft of the Implementation Plan in March.

We've also asked for the Comp Plan to include:
• An explicit requirement that all increases in development potential allowed in any areas must be directly linked to permanent decreases in development potential in other areas having higher wildlife, scenic and rural character value;
• An evaluation of the plan's impacts on wildlife; and
• An estimate of the amount of commercial and residential development expected in each character district, along with clarity about the total amount of growth that would be allowed under the plan.

As always, the Alliance believes that decisions about the location, type and amount of development should be informed by the best available science, as well as by meaningful community input, and we'll keep working toward that end. For background information on the current phase of the Comp Plan revision, please click here for last month's Alliance Action item. For links to all of our comments about the revision to date, please click here. For help with your comments, contact Becky Tillson at (307) 733-9417 or Rebecca@jhalliance.org. Links to our ongoing "Comp Plan Uncomplicated" radio shows are available by clicking here, and please click here for additional background information on the plan. You can also refer to the official Comp Plan website, www.jacksontetonplan.com, for much more info, and to submit comments.

6) More community planning news

In addition to the Comp Plan, the Alliance keeps tabs on many other town and county planning issues. Here’s a partial roundup, but please bear 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.

Feb. 6: Special meeting of the Jackson Town Council, 2 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. Click here for the agenda.

Feb. 6: Jackson Town Council and Teton Board of County Commissioners joint information meeting, 3 to 5 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. The electeds are expected to discuss recommendations from the Transportation Advisory Committee regarding the 2012 State Transportation Improvement Plan, and to address the alignment of a pathway bridge over the Snake River along Hwy. 22. They also plan to discuss design and cost estimates for the proposed START bus facility in Karns Meadow, as well as landfill issues. Click here for the full agenda and links to associated staff reports. (UPDATE: This JIM has been continued to Feb. 17, 3 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. Click here for the agenda.)

Feb. 6 : Jackson Town Council regular meeting, 6 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. Councilors are expected to discuss a request to change the phasing plan for a planned mixed-use development at Pearl and Willow. (This would be an amendment to the project's existing master plan.) Click here for the full agenda.

Feb. 7: Teton Board of County Commissioners regular meeting, 9 a.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. Click here for the agenda for this meeting.

Feb. 8: Joint Town of Jackson and Teton County Planning Commission hearing on Comp Plan character districts, 5 to 9 p.m., Grandview Lodge, Snow King Resort. The planning commissioners are expected to certify a list of recommendations regarding the character district map section of the Comp Plan to the elected officials for their consideration. (See Alliance Action Item #5 above for additional info.)

Feb. 13: Teton Board of County Commissioners workshop, 10:30 a.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. Commissioners are tentatively scheduled to discuss bids for completing the Housing Legal Nexus Study with the Teton County Housing Authority. The study is intended to guide an update of affordable housing mitigation rates in the county. (For the Alliance's Jan. 9 comments regarding the study, click here.)

Feb. 13: Teton County Planning Commission meeting, 6 p.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. The agenda for this meeting will be posted later this month at www.tetonwyo.org/minutes.

Feb. 15: Natural Resources Technical Advisory Board meeting, 4 p.m., Teton Conservation District office, 420 W. Pearl. NRTAB members are expected to continue discussing the directive they were recently given by the joint elected officials – to analyze and update the Natural Resource Overlay as part of implementing the new Comp Plan. Contact Rachel Daluge at Rachel@tetonconservation.org for details.

Feb. 17: Jackson Town Council and Teton Board of County Commissioners joint information meeting, 3 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. This is a continuation of the JIM from Feb. 6. Click here for the agenda.

Feb. 21: Teton Board of County Commissioners regular meeting, 9 a.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. Commissioners are scheduled to discuss a text amendment to the land development regulations that would permit recreational park trailers in campgrounds countywide. (For background information, click here for last month's Alliance Action Item regarding the commissioners' Jan. 3 meeting on RPTs.) The full agenda will be posted later this month at www.tetonwyo.org/minutes.

Feb. 21: Jackson Town Council workshop, 2 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. Among the topics expected to be discussed are the McCabe Corners project (which was recently granted an extension to secure funding), Town Square sidewalks, a possible ban on plastic grocery bags, Redmond Street art and potential changes to the Gregory Lane street design. The agenda should be available shortly before the meeting date via the town website, www.ci.jackson.wy.us. (Click on "Meeting Agendas" under the "Jackson Government" heading.)

Feb. 21: Jackson Town Council regular meeting, 6 p.m., Town Hall, 150 E. Pearl. The agenda should be available shortly before the meeting date via the town website, www.ci.jackson.wy.us. (Click on "Meeting Agendas" under the "Jackson Government" heading.)

Feb. 27: Teton County Planning Commission meeting, 6 p.m., County chambers, 200 S. Willow. The agenda for this meeting will be posted later this month at www.tetonwyo.org/minutes.

7) Alliance seeks wildlands director

We're looking for a qualified individual to lead our research, strategy development, and advocacy on wildlife and land management issues. Candidates must have excellent communication skills and several years of professional involvement with Federal, state and wildlife agency management procedures in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. An advanced degree in a related field is strongly preferred. For the full job description and application information, please click here. Applications are due by Feb. 19.

8) Coming Events

Thursday, Feb. 9
Become a trained Nature Mapping citizen scientist!
5:15 to 8 p.m., Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation Conference Room, 330 N. Glenwood (Pre-registration required)
By recording what wildlife you see in your own backyard, during your commute or while you’re out exploring, you can make a big contribution to conservation efforts in the valley – find out how at the Feb. 9 Nature Mapping training. Nature Mapping is a local project with the goal of “Keeping Common Species Common.” This training is the first step for volunteers interested in learning more about the project, about opportunities available once you become trained, and about how to use the program’s web-based data management tools. To register, contact project coordinator Megan Smith at Megan@jhwildlife.org or (307) 739-0968. Nature Mapping Jackson Hole is sponsored by the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation and the Meg and Bert Raynes Wildlife Fund. For more information, visit www.naturemappingjh.org.

Thursday, Feb. 9
"Fires, Bugs and Seeing the Forest for the Trees," a presentation by George Wuerthner
7 p.m., Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center, 5655 Main St., Wilson
Ecologist and author George Wuerthner will share information about the impacts of fire on forests and wildlife during this free Feb. 9 presentation sponsored by the Wyoming Wilderness Association. Wuerthner, who holds degrees in botany, wildlife biology and range science, will also discuss basic fire ecology, pine bark beetles and the value of dead trees in forest ecosystems. This month, Bridger-Teton National Forest officials are expected to release an environmental analysis of the Teton to Snake Fuels Management Project, which is intended to reduce the danger of forest fires next to residences from Teton Village south along the Fish/Fall Creek Road corridor all the way to the Snake River Canyon. The organizers of Wuerthner's talk hope to have information on how the public can comment on the proposal available for attendees. For details, contact Kristen Pope at (307) 203-8382 or Kristen@wildwyo.org.

Wednesday, Feb. 15
Citizen Lobbyist Training
Starts at 8 a.m. at the Plains Hotel in Cheyenne
The 61st Wyoming Legislature Budget Session will convene in Cheyenne on Feb. 13. For people who’d like to get involved in the legislative process, the nonprofit Equality State Policy Center is offering a hands-on lobbying workshop on Feb. 15. This annual training is for those who want to understand the workings of the state’s legislature, and who want to learn ways that citizens can influence lawmakers. For details, click here. For more information about the 61st Session, see Alliance Action Item #4 above.

Wednesday, Feb. 15
Alliance info lunch on the geology of Jackson Hole
Noon to 1 p.m., Alliance office, 685 S. Cache
The geologic story of Jackson Hole covers more than 2.7 billion years and major periods of mountain-building, plus volcanic eruptions that changed the face of the American West. More recently, the region has been altered by periods of glaciation and deformation by major earthquakes. On Feb. 15, The Geologists of Jackson Hole will discuss the development of the Wyoming Thrust Belt and foreland uplifts so dramatically seen in the mountains surrounding Jackson Hole; the Teton Range and associated Teton Fault, with implications for residents and structures such as Jackson Lake Dam; Yellowstone volcanism and its significance for local geology; and the dramatic evidence of glaciation throughout Jackson Hole and northwest Wyoming. Please bring a bag lunch and your questions; we'll provide snacks and drinks. Contact Claire Fuller at (307) 733-9417 or Claire@jhalliance.org for more information.

Saturday, Feb. 18
Annual Sage Grouse Census
9 a.m. to noon, southern half of Jackson Hole
In March 2010, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that sage grouse warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, but that other more critical species were a priority, so the grouse have to wait. Meanwhile, sage grouse populations in Jackson Hole and nationwide continue to decline, and there's a need to accurately keep track of the numbers. To keep tabs on the size and health of our local sage grouse population, biologists with Craighead Beringia South are planning to conduct a count across the southern half of the valley on Feb. 18, and they’d like your help. If you’re interested in volunteering for this census, please email beringia@beringiasouth.org with the name(s) of people in your party, whether you prefer to cross-country ski or snowshoe, and how far you’re comfortable traveling, and they’ll get back to you with details. For more information, visit www.beringiasouth.com or call Katie Dahlgren at (307) 734-0581.

Thursday, Feb. 23
"Market Forces versus the Comprehensive Plan: The Future of Development in Jackson Hole"
6 p.m., County chambers, 300 S. Willow
The Alliance is pleased to sponsor a Feb. 23 presentation on the market forces driving residential development in Teton County. David Viehman, author of "The Hole Report" and owner of Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, will talk about trends in supply and demand in the local real estate market, and discuss what sort of development might be expected in the town and county in coming years. Christine Walker of the Teton County Housing Authority will further discuss the intersection of market forces and our community's workforce housing goals. Your questions and comments for the discussion that will follow are welcomed! As we move toward adopting a new Comprehensive Plan, this is a key opportunity to carefully examine the economics that drive development trends in Jackson Hole. Contact Becky Tillson at (307) 733-9417 or Rebecca@jhalliance.org for details.

Saturday, Feb. 25
Annual Moose Day
All day, throughout Jackson Hole
Poor habitat, disease, parasites, predation and more are all playing a role in recent declines in Western Wyoming moose populations. (For background information on this topic by biologist Steve Kilpatrick, click here.) Moose Day, a project sponsored by the Meg and Bert Raynes Wildlife Fund and Nature Mapping Jackson Hole, is when community members are urged to keep an eye out for this particular species and to report any sightings. If you're interested in helping out, please contact Megan Smith at (307) 739-0968 or Megan@jhwildlife.org.

Saturday, Feb. 25
Second Annual "Art of Conservation"
5 to 7 p.m., Altamira Fine Art, 172 Center St.
Please see Alliance Action Item #1 above for details!

9) Valley Voices

"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

– Alice Walker

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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.