JACKSON HOLE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
P.O. Box 2728
Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-9417
www.jhalliance.org
6/6/07
Re: Hoback River work on hold until 2014, JHNG 5/30/07
On behalf of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, weÕd like to offer our thanks to those who helped us in our search for a safe and environmentally friendly solution to highway reconstruction near Hoback Junction at a potential landslide area.
First of all, thank you to The Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, which provided funding for the Conservation Alliance to research the countryÕs most technologically advanced engineering firms in hopes of finding a solution that would protect travelers, the scenic Hoback River, and wildlife habitat near the potential landslide section about a mile east of Hoback Junction on Highway 89/191. After the search, we paired with Greg Axten of American Geotechnical, Inc., of Yorba Linda, Calif., who reviewed the case for us.
On Nov. 17, 2006, Greg flew out to Jackson Hole to study the potential landslide site in person and meet with Wyoming Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and local officials. In February, he submitted his report detailing a technologically advanced alternative that would use shear-pins and tie-back anchors to stabilize the potential landslide zone and protect highway users. Previous proposals were more environmentally harmful because they would have either created two new bridges over the Hoback and into the National Forest, or entailed filling and rerouting part of the river.
WYDOT, the FHA, the Hoback Interdisciplinary Team, and the Forest Service could not have been more professional and receptive to discussing our engineerÕs viable alternative. We commend WYDOT for making the choice to postpone reconstruction until the best stabilization technology is developed to ensure the best possible solution for our community and the irreplaceable natural resources along the Hoback River.
This has been a fantastic example of collaboration and of finding solutions that truly can be win-win for everyone. Again, without The Community FoundationÕs generous support toward finding community solutions, we could have been looking at a very different outcome.
Congratulations, Jackson Hole!
Kristy Bruner, Community Planning Director
Franz Camenzind, Executive Director
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 areaÕs irreplaceable wildlife, scenic and
other natural resources. The organization has 2,000 members from Jackson Hole
and across the nation.