A Comprehensive Plan is a long-range blueprint to guide the growth and development of a community according to the vision of the members of that community. Jackson and Teton County are currently operating under a Comp Plan that was passed in 1994. In 2007, the town and county began the process of revising the 1994 plan, and in June 2011, the Jackson Town Council and Teton Board of County Commissioners approved the vision and policies section of the new plan (click here for a link to it).

Now, work is underway on the second half of the Comp Plan – the character district maps, which are intended to illustrate what Jackson Hole will look like in coming years (click here for a link to this section of the plan). Click here for our latest Alliance Action item on the status of this phase. Links to all of the Alliance's comments regarding the Comp Plan revision are available by clicking here.

Why should you care?

Unchecked growth could permanently degrade what makes Jackson Hole unique – our wildlife, open spaces, scenic vistas and community character.

Although it’s hard to quantify the qualities of small-town life that we cherish and want to preserve, it’s a fair guess that a large increase in numbers of buildings and people will result in a corresponding decrease in the quality of life and experience for all who live and visit here. Picture more traffic jams, longer lines at the post office and stores, higher taxes, fighting for parking spaces at trailheads and searching for solitude on crowded trails.

Since development on private lands has a direct, negative impact on the wildlife depending on them for survival, also imagine yourself looking for say, moose, and not finding any. Not good – especially when you consider how much our community character and tourism-based economy depend on wildlife.

All of us who are privileged to experience Jackson Hole have an obligation to take care of it. Now, more than ever, it’s time to join those who have worked for decades to keep this precious place a global treasure and demand a Comp Plan that will do what our community wants: Protect our irreplaceable wildlife, open spaces and character.

Throughout the Comp Plan revision process, the Conservation Alliance will continue to work for a plan that will preserve and protect Jackson Hole’s unique ecosystem, wildlife, natural resources, quality of life and community character in a sustainable and predictable manner. Click here for a list of items the Comp Plan needs to include to accomplish this.

Click here for links to all of our comments regarding the Comp Plan rewrite.

Questions? Contact Becky Tillson, Alliance wildlands and community planning associate, at (307) 733-9417 or Rebecca@jhalliance.org.

Comp Plan Timeline to date:
In January 2007, Jackson and Teton County elected officials began interviewing consultants to help with “updating” our community’s Comp Plan from 1994.
In brief, here’s what has happened since then:
July 2007: The electeds and Clarion Associates, the Comp Plan consultant, formally kick off the “update.”
Early 2008: Community surveys are conducted, which all show strong support for a plan that will protect Jackson Hole’s wildlife and manage growth responsibly.
June 2008: The first draft of a completely rewritten Comp Plan (produced by Clarion Associates) is released.
April 2009: A second draft comes out. This draft, largely written by town and county planning staff, includes a new section called the Future Land Use Plan, which proposes to “protect wildlife and natural and scenic resources by concentrating development in town and county nodes.”
July 2009: Following a failed attempt to remand this second draft, the Jackson and Teton County planning commissions begin jointly reviewing it.
May 2010: A third draft incorporating joint recommendations from the planning commissions is released. A list of the planning commissioners’ “irreconcilable” issues is also released. (Click here for this list.)
July 2010: The planning commissioners decide to pass along the themes and policies section of the third draft (with some changes) to the Jackson Town Council and the Teton Board of County Commissioners. They also decide to hold off on reviewing the Future Land Use Plan section until after the elected officials have finished with the themes and policies.
September 2010: A fourth draft, called the “PC Certified Comprehensive Plan Update” is released. (Click here for links to this draft.)
November 2010: The Jackson and Teton County elected officials decide to look for outside help with their review of the PC draft.
January 2011: The electeds decide to hire a company called AECOM out of Ft. Collins, Colo., to facilitate their review.
February 2011: The electeds begin their Comp Plan revision discussions.
April 28, 2011: The electeds give planning staff final directions for rewriting the plan.
May 20, 2011: The electeds' version of the draft Comp Plan policies is released.
June 22, 2011: A revised electeds' version is released.
June 29, 2011: The electeds vote to approve the vision and policies segment of their draft Comp Plan.
Fall 2011: Town and county planners hold a series of public workshops on drafts of the second half of the Comp Plan – the character district maps segment.
Early 2012: The town and county planning commissions review the character district maps.