JACKSON HOLE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

P.O. Box 2728

Jackson, WY 83001

(307) 733-9417

www.jhalliance.org

11/15/06 Jackson Hole News&Guide

Speak Up for a Better Bridger-Teton

By Tom Darin
Public Lands Director, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance

Woody Allen had it right when he said that 80% of success in life is just showing up.  Right now, the Bridger-Teton National Forest is developing a new forest plan and is holding public meetings later this month.  I’m urging you to mark your calendars and show up.  Here’s why. 

The new forest plan will be incredibly important – it will set overall management priorities and suitable uses for the entire 3.4-million forest for the next 15-20 years.

Recently, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance developed a set of maps to portray the highest and best uses of the national forest:  wildlife, pristine backcountry, recreation, and wild and scenic rivers.  In doing so, we utilized the latest and best scientific data.   In addition, we developed a second set of maps to highlight the biggest flaw of the current forest plan – the 1.9 million acres of the forest (virtually everything that isn’t Wilderness) that are considered open and available for new oil and gas leasing.  The results were shocking – all of these amazing wildlife and backcountry attributes that make Jackson Hole like no place else are threatened by future energy development. All of the maps are available on our website www.jhalliance.org/mapsBToilgas.htm; if interested, call 733-9417 to schedule a presentation for your group.   

Until a new plan is developed, the forest will operate under the one finalized in 1990, which means that half or more of the forest faces an uncertain future that may include oil and gas fields.  The key point here is that in the current process to develop a new forest plan, the public can weigh in to find these areas “not suitable” for any new oil and gas leasing.  With most of the forest not being leased at this time, this gives all of us the opportunity – one that comes along once every generation – to protect what we hold so near and dear in Jackson Hole. 

Many folks think that these areas are already protected from future leasing through the fantastic decision in 2003 by Bridger-Teton Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton.  A few years back, industry nominated more than 375,000 acres of the Bridger-Teton to be leased to the highest bidder for oil and gas development.  The public weighed in and Supervisor Hamilton used her discretion to reject those specific nominations.  However, and this is the key point, she did not, and in fact could not given the type of decision before her, change the “suitability” determination in the 1990 forest plan.  As such, those areas are still open and available for future oil and gas leasing, unless and until the new forest plan finds this type of industrial activity – and the attendant drilling rigs, compressor stations, waste pits and pipelines – “not suitable” in the forest. 

And this is where we – the Jackson Hole and surrounding communities – come into play.  The whole process of “planning,” perhaps because it is proactive, doesn’t always draw the big crowds.  It should.  Otherwise, sitting out the current forest planning process sends the wrong message to forest officials. It tells them that opening up more than half of the Bridger-Teton for oil and gas development – including areas prized for hunting, hiking, fishing, and wildlife – is just fine, when clearly it is not.   If the big crowds come out now and stick up for these values, we can head off  future “leasing” battles down the road – like the ones we are presently seeing in the Wyoming Range portion of the Bridger-Teton.  Remember, a determination in the new forest plan of “not suitable” means that the oil and gas industry is not allowed to lease it.  Period.  That is a long-term protection worth fighting for right now. 

The next round of public workshops to develop a draft forest plan will be held by Bridger-Teton officials from November 27th-30th.  Here in Jackson, the meeting is Nov. 29th from 6-9:30 p.m. at the Jackson High School.  Importantly, the topic of future energy development in the forest is on the agenda.  So show up.  Speak up.  There’s too much at stake for the future of your forest not to.

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The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to responsible land stewardship to ensure that human activities are in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic and other natural resources. The organization has 2,000 members from Jackson Hole and across the nation.