JACKSON HOLE CONSERVATION ALLIANCE
P.O. Box 2728
Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 733-9417
www.jhalliance.org
12/5/07
By Bruce Hayse, M.D.
Board Member, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
After nearly two decades of dealing with various expansion plans for Grand Targhee Resort, the final chapter may soon be written. On Dec. 11, the Teton County Commissioners are poised to vote on the application. I hope that in these deliberations the Commissioners step back and think about the bigger picture -- the location, the history of this region, and the irreversible and unintended consequences of a vote to go forward with the development.
Situated at 8,000 feet and deep within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the 120-acre resort as proposed has the potential of becoming a year-round development of more than 3,000 people. What impact will a community one-third the size of Jackson have on the surrounding wildlands? While winter use may be largely concentrated on the ski slopes, the summer visitors will want to wander farther afield. How will this increased activity impact forest trails, backcountry campsites and sensitive wildlife? What impact will come from summer visitors who are more likely to use private cars than mass transportation on the Alta-Targhee road? How many of these 3,000 guests will want to visit Grand Teton National Park via the closest entry -- the Moose-Wilson road -- and what impact will that have on this fragile byway? The domestication and commercialization which will occur could easily turn Grand Targhee from a charming resort in a secluded wild setting to just another cookie cutter overcrowded resort.
This Greater Yellowstone Region survives economically because of its world-class natural resources -- its scenery, quiet places, clean air and water, and above all, its full array of native wildlife. These natural qualities are what drew all of us here whether just a few years ago or a few generations ago. While the seasonal visitor provides the steady economic structure of our community, can too much of a good thing destroy what we cherish? Many of us now living in the Greater Yellowstone country have become permanent tourists in a way -- here for the quality of life, not the quantity of possible income.
As far back as the 1860s, this region was recognized as a place worth saving unimpaired for future generations. This conservation interest manifested itself as the worldÕs first national park -- Yellowstone -- and its first national forest -- the Shoshone. With the wise foresight of the Rockefeller family, this idea expanded Grand Teton National Park from an isolated mountain range to protected valley and peaks. The concept of protected wilderness areas, as well as the system to protect our waterways through wild and scenic designation, can trace their roots back to Jackson Hole. But throughout this long conservation tradition, special interests have always been preying on the edges, trying to get a private piece of the action, sometimes successfully and sometimes being rejected by courageous locals and concerned citizens everywhere. Any single development may not seem significant, but how many bites must a beaver take before the tree falls? How much has already gone by the wayside? How much remains to be protected? Will we pass forward only memories or real, wild realities? When we decide the fate of Grand Targhee, we need to put the decision in its proper perspective. We need to understand the landscape, our history and what we leave for the future.
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.