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1) Paul
Hansen chosen as new Alliance executive director • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1) Paul Hansen chosen as new Alliance executive director The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance board of directors announced on May 26 that conservationist Paul Hansen will take the helm of the organization when long-time Executive Director Franz Camenzind retires at the end of July. Currently the Greater Yellowstone program director for The Nature Conservancy, Hansen has spent more than three decades working in conservation, including 23 years at the Izaak Walton League of America, 12 of them as executive director. “Thanks to the generous notice Franz gave us of his decision to retire, we were able to conduct a thorough search process to find the right person for the difficult job of filling Franz’ shoes,” said Anthony Stevens, Alliance board chairman. “We feel very lucky to have found that person in our own backyard.” A long-time visitor to the valley, Hansen moved here two years ago. “After 35 years in conservation, it is a dream come true to work for such a great group within my own community -- especially a community that is so dedicated to our wildlife and landscape,” Hansen said. “It will be my job to continue the Alliance’s tradition of working with our neighbors -- businesses, sportsmen, conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds -- to make sure this dedication to the unique character of our valley actually translates into action on the ground.” Visit www.jhalliance.org/library.htm#pressreleases for more information.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 2) Speak up for Jackson Hole at Comp Plan hearings beginning June 11 The draft Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan released in April states that “Preservation and protection of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the area’s natural resources is the top priority of our community.” But it lacks the policies needed to uphold this priority. Without fundamental changes, the new plan WILL NOT protect Jackson Hole’s irreplaceable wildlife, open spaces and small-town character because: - It proposes too much development overall and doesn’t evaluate the consequences of growth in the valley. The draft plan proposes MORE THAN DOUBLING the amount of residential and commercial development that’s already on the ground today. Yet it does not analyze what effect this much growth would have on our natural resources (like wildlife and aquifers) or our built resources (such as roads and schools). Look around. Long-term trends show that the region’s moose and mule deer populations are already in decline (see the article at www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4632 for state figures). We’re already facing traffic problems, higher property taxes, full parking lots at trailheads and a lack of solitude on crowded trails. It’s a safe bet that doubling the development we already have could permanently degrade what makes Jackson Hole unique. - The draft plan implies that allowing significantly increased development in the Town of Jackson, Teton Village, The Aspens, Wilson and South Park won’t harm wildlife, but all these areas have wildlife values. Also, the draft provides no assurances that we’ll actually get permanent protection for wildlife and rural areas in return for increased density elsewhere. - The new draft lacks an integrated approach to land use planning decisions. For example, it fails to acknowledge that the amount of commercial development it proposes will worsen, not relieve, our workforce housing shortage. The fact is, we can’t grow our way out of growth-related problems. - The draft plan has dropped critical language from the 1994 Comp Plan that was specifically meant to protect our valley’s rural character and scenic views. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP? Starting on June 11, the town and county planning commissioners will begin to hear public comments on the draft plan before making recommendations to electeds later this summer. NOW’S THE TIME to get informed and get involved. Public officials need to hear from you that we need a plan that will actually protect this precious valley. - Read our report at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/CompPlanBrochure.5-09.pdf. - Read the draft plan at www.jacksontetonplan.com and make your written comments by June 11. Send a copy of your comments to the local officials listed at www.jhalliance.org/takeactioncontacts.htm. - Sign the Comp Plan petition at Hungry Jack’s, Skinny Skis, Living Green Herb Store, Gifts of the Earth or the Alliance office, 685 S. Cache St. Or sign it via email by copying the text of the petition: “We the undersigned, as citizens of Teton County, expect that the Comprehensive Plan will be revised to reflect the following: Wildlife and open spaces, values this community has cherished for decades, will be reinstated as the community’s top priority and become the organizing theme of the entire plan. To preserve these values and our small town character we will not support any plan which doubles residential and commercial development.” Then paste it and add your full name in an email to compplanpetition@yahoo.com before June 11. - Show up and speak up at the first Comp Plan public hearing, Thursday, June 11, 5:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall, 170 N. Glenwood. (Subsequent public hearings are planned throughout the summer; for the schedule and agendas to date, please visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/CompPlanMeetingsSummer09.pdf.) Questions? Contact Kristy Bruner, Conservation Alliance community planning director, at (307) 733-9417 or Kristy@jhalliance.org. Check www.jhalliance.org/issuescompplan.htm for updates and come to our weekly informal discussions regarding the Comp Plan each Thursday in June and July from noon to 1 p.m. at the Alliance office, 685 S. Cache St. YOUR VOICE IS CRITICAL.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 3) Town development updates In addition to the Comp Plan, the Conservation Alliance is keeping an eye on many other community planning matters. Here’s a brief roundup, however, please note that all meetings are subject to change. Call the Town of Jackson at (307) 733-3932, Teton County at (307) 733-8094, or reach Alliance community planning director Kristy Bruner at Kristy@jhalliance.org or (307) 733-9417 for confirmation. If you’d like to comment on any of these issues, contact information for all local public officials is available at www.jhalliance.org/takeactioncontacts.htm. NORTH CACHE PLANNED MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT -- Jackson Town Council, June 15, 6 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. On May 20, the Jackson Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the final development plan for North Cache Investments’ 45,428-square-foot above-grade planned mixed-use development project in the 300 block of North Cache. Town councilors approved the master plan for the three-story, 42-foot-tall project on Feb. 2 and will vote on the final plan June 15. (UPDATE: The Town Council approved this master plan at the June 15 meeting.) The Conservation Alliance continues to question the approval of large, precedent-setting upzones, particularly at Jackson’s gateways and during our community’s ongoing comprehensive plan process. The Comp Plan can’t protect something that’s already gone. We urge you to read our special report on development in the Town of Jackson, available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/TownDevelopment.3-09.pdf, and to visit www.jhalliance.org/library.htm#comments for links to our comments on gateway development and the North Cache project. GATSBY’S (formerly known as Miller Park Lodge) PLANNED MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT -- Jackson Town Council, June 15, 6 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. Also on May 20, Jackson planning commissioners approved the final development plan for Gatsby’s, an approximately 26,000-square-foot PMD at 155 N. Jackson St., across from Miller Park. The Jackson Town Council approved the master plan for this development in December and will vote on the final plan June 15. (UPDATE: The Town Council approved this master plan at the June 15 meeting.) STAGE STOP APPLICATION -- Jackson Town Council, June 15, 6 p.m., Council chambers, 150 E. Pearl. As a follow up to previous discussions, on June 15, councilors are scheduled to continue consideration of the sketch plan for this 31,494-square-foot above-grade lodging and retail facility at 135 N. Cache and 120 N. Glenwood. (UPDATE: This application has been tabled at the request of the developer.) For the Town of Jackson planning staff’s report on this application, visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/Stagestop.3-09.pdf. “Y” INTERSECTION DEVELOPER YANKS APPLICATION -- The Jackson Town Council was scheduled to hear a "successive application" for the Sandhill Ridge planned unit development on May 18, however the developer withdrew it shortly before that meeting. (In March, town councilors voted 3-2 to deny the original application for this 87-unit residential condo complex next to the strapped Broadway-Hwy. 22 intersection.)• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 4) What’s down the pike for local highway construction? Find out June 1 The public’s invited to a Wyoming Department of Transportation discussion on June 1 about the next five years of road work slated for Teton County. WYDOT anticipates spending about $116.43 million on projects including bridge work, pathways, continuing work on Togwotee, and reconstruction of Broadway, the Hoback Junction intersection and the Jackson South highway, which WYDOT has proposed making five lanes all the way. This last project could further fragment habitat and increase hazards for wildlife (not to mention motorists) moving through the valley. (Visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/2009/JaxSouthInfo.3-2-09.pdf for some background on the Jackson South project.) Officials say public input is welcome at the meeting, set for Monday, June 1, 1:30 p.m. at WYDOT’s office, 1040 Evans Road. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 5) Comments due June 10 on Jackson Hole Airport lease extension As the only commercial airport located entirely within a national park, Jackson Hole Airport is strictly regulated by the National Park Service. A draft lease extension agreement between Grand Teton National Park and the airport board is available for public comment until 5 p.m. on June 10. The current lease agreement was signed in 1983 and expires in 2033, but it’s being proposed for extension now because the Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to either own their own land or have at least a 20-year lease before they’ll help fund capital improvements. Unless the lease is extended, the FAA would no longer fund projects at Jackson Hole Airport after 2013, and major projects, such as those intended for safety, efficiency or expanded capacity, would likely not occur without FAA assistance. The DEIS offers two alternatives. Under the first “no action” alternative, the lease would not be renewed and the airport would close operations in 2033, when the site would be restored to its former natural condition. The second “preferred” alternative, which includes noise and construction restrictions, would extend the lease for two 10-year periods expiring in 2053. Concurrent with this draft environmental impact statement process, the airport board is conducting an extensive safety audit. The Conservation Alliance and other groups believe that no decision should be made on the lease extension until the public and the Park Service can review the results of this audit. To that end, we’ve requested that public comment be extended to no less than 60 days after the release of the safety audit, so that all pertinent information may be considered in the environmental analysis process. Since we don’t yet know if our extension request will be granted, we’re proceeding with submitting comments and urge you to do the same. Of greatest concern are the impacts that noisy aircraft have on Grand Teton National Park. The D-EIS indicates that noise impacts will continue to increase as air traffic increases. We believe that the Park Service, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Jackson Hole Airport Board could extend more control over aircraft operations and require more flights to land from and take off toward the south, minimizing the time aircraft are over the park. Visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov/grte to review
this proposal and provide comments. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 6) Northern Rockies wolf update The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published its rule delisting the Northern Rockies gray wolf population in the Federal Registry on April 2, and it became effective on May 4. The major difference between this delisting rule and the one that Fish and Wildlife withdrew last fall is that the current rule delists wolves in Montana and Idaho, but keeps Wyoming’s wolves under Endangered Species Act protection. Shortly after the delisting rule was published, the Conservation Alliance, along with other organizations and attorneys at Earthjustice, submitted a 60-day notice of intent to bring suit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service challenging the new rule. At the beginning of June, we will file our complaint in Federal Court in Missoula, Montana. A court date will probably be assigned later in the year. Montana and Idaho’s management plans are too aggressive and do not provide enough protection for their wolves. Both of these states’ game management agencies are currently drafting hunting plans for fall of 2009 and we’re particularly concerned about Idaho’s goal of killing up to 300 wolves. If allowed to go forward, these plans will severely limit the number of wolves moving between the three states, thereby isolating wolf populations and increasing the long-term risk of inbreeding. Although we agree that Wyoming’s wolves should not be delisted, we question both the legal and biological consequences of separating out a part of what is already a small, distinct population. For background information, visit www.jhalliance.org/issueswolves.htm.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 7) Get a head start on new bear regulations Starting July 1, people and businesses in much of Teton County will be required to store their trash in bear-resistant containers. Aimed at reducing conflicts between humans and bears, the new regulations are explained in full at www.tetonwyo.org/plan/pdplan (look for “Bear Conflict” under the announcements section). • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 8) Supporting the Alliance is in the bag! Help keep Jackson Hole wild and beautiful -- and
cut down on the waste of plastic shopping bags • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 9) Coming events Each Thursday through July 30 Friday, June 5 Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13 Wednesday, June 17 Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20 Tuesday, June 30 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • (Back to top) 10) Valley Voices Many recent letters to the editor have critiqued the new draft of the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan. Here are excerpts from a few such letters that ran in the May 20 Jackson Hole News&Guide: “As I digest everything said by the community and April’s comprehensive plan draft, it occurs to me that we should essentially stick with 1994’s plan. It’s water under the bridge that time and money have gone to a plan rewrite, not just update. It matters much more what happens to real life here in Jackson Hole. Let’s maintain the community vision captured in 1994. Let’s stick with commercial and residential growth no higher than envisioned then….” -- Karen Langenberg “It seems a political nightmare has been created in the process of taking one step forward and several steps back in the current planning process. The one step forward is the current draft comprehensive plan; the first of 10 steps back is the loss or removal of the basic tenets of a perfectly good plan from 1994….” -- Robert Hughes “How many more meetings do we have to attend? How many more letters do we have to write? How many more emails do we have to send? Wilson does not like or want the comprehensive plan as written….” -- Birdie Rossetter “The latest version of the comprehensive plan appears to be ‘déjà vu all over again.’ There is no way to maintain wildlife and community character while allowing for growth. These things are mutually exclusive. Coupled with the fact that growth never pays its way, this is a very depressing conclusion to have come to (again!)….We need to find sustainable ways to maintain this community as a viable place, and I would argue that means contraction as opposed to growth….” -- Phil Round “While the draft comp plan lists priorities and sets policies, it fails to provide us with what we need most: a description of what our town and valley will look like after 10 years under the plan….But even without such a description, we know that the plan contemplates enormous increases in residences, commercial buildings, jobs and traffic….We grow from a small town into a small city, and as sure as the sun rises in the east, we will lose -- and lose for all time -- our unique sense of community. And when we’re done growing into a city, how will any of our lives be better? The plan’s answer to this concern about growth is that it permits only responsible growth. But the only difference between responsible growth and irresponsible growth is that responsible growth will take a little longer to destroy our community….If we don’t get this right, there will be no second chances. We are playing for keeps with everything we love about Jackson Hole.” -- Wiliam D. Friend• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 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. |
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