 |
| December 2007
Alliance Action |
1) Teton
Meadows Ranch proposal to get first public hearing
Jan. 28
2) Grand Targhee heads long list
of county development matters
3) Condominiumization, Pine
Glades and 5-Way on Town’s plate
4) Potential relocation of Bridger-Teton
HQ leads public lands news
5) Protect Wildlife -- Don’t
Poach the Powder!
6) Wyoming wolf management plan
adopted
7) County bear conflict discussions
continue
8) State Game and Fish sets Dec.
19 meeting on black bears and bison
9) Thinking about end-of-year giving?
10) Celebrate another year of
keeping Jackson Hole wild and beautiful!
11) Valley Echoes
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1) Teton
Meadows Ranch proposal to get first public
hearing Jan. 28
In the first step of the public process to review
the Teton Meadows Ranch proposal, the Teton County
Planning Commission has scheduled a hearing for
6 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the County Commissioners’ Chambers,
200 S. Willow St., Jackson. Sequoia Development
submitted an application for this 500-unit project
on 288 acres of the Seherr-Thoss property in
South Park on Aug. 22. The developer is seeking
a zoning change from Rural to NC-2, under which
development of vacant land can only occur if
it’s considered to be “infill” between
existing subdivisions. The developer’s
stated primary goal is to “target all homes
and lots to the Jackson workforce, to be sold
at below-market prices to qualified buyers.”
While the Conservation Alliance is always open
to reviewing modifications to development applications
throughout the planning process, we do not support
the Teton Meadows Ranch Sketch Plan (and associated
amendments) as currently proposed, for the following
principal reasons:
1) The proposed zone change from Rural to NC-2
appears to fail to comply with our land development
regulations and the intent of the Comprehensive
Plan.
2) The proposed density is incompatible with
adjacent properties and not representative of
responsible land use planning at the broader
community level.
3) The applicant’s approach has minimized
the development’s potential to help solve
the community’s affordable housing problem.
4) An evaluation of a proposal of this scale
is a big step to take before the current Comprehensive
Plan update process is completed. As a community,
in coming months, we will undoubtedly be looking
at South Park planning as part of the update
process. Smart development is guided by strategic
planning, which can only be directed and designed
by an entire community. In short, the community
should decide within the Comp Plan update process
if development of this scale is appropriate for
this area of South Park.
For additional information on these broad concerns,
please review the fact sheet posted on our website
at www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/TetonMeadowsQ&A.11-29-07.pdf.
You can get involved by voicing your questions,
thoughts and concerns. Please contact the following
planning staff, and planning and county commissioners:
Blair Leist, Staff Planner on Teton Meadows
Ranch: (307) 733-3959 or bleist@tetonwyo.org
Teton County Planning Commission: planningcom@tetonwyo.org
Tony Wall, Susan Garlow, Larry Hamilton, Kasey
Mateosky and Joseph Palmer
Teton Board of County Commissioners: (307) 733-8094
or commissioners@tetonwyo.org
Andy Schwartz, Leland Christensen, Ben Ellis, Bill
Paddleford, Hank Phibbs
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2) Grand
Targhee leads long list of county development
matters
In addition to the above item, the Conservation
Alliance continues to monitor a slew of other
county private lands matters. Here's a brief
roundup of meetings at which you may share your
concerns; you may also email county comments
to commissioners@tetonwyo.org.
(All times and dates are subject to change --
please call Teton County at (307) 733-8094 for
confirmation.) For more information on all community
planning issues, please contact Kristy Bruner
at kristy@jhalliance.org or
(307) 733-9417.
GRAND TARGHEE -- Dec. 11, 9 a.m., County Commissioners’ Chambers,
200 S. Willow St., Jackson. The Teton Board of
County Commissioners will consider Grand Targhee’s
latest bid to gain resort zoning for what may
be the last time. Visit www.tetonwyo.org/plan and
click on the Targhee item in the Announcements
box for the most recent version of owner Geordie
Gillett’s proposal. THIS HEARING WAS
CONTINUED TO DEC.19, AND RECONTINUED TO JAN.
8, SAME TIME & PLACE.
The Conservation Alliance urges everyone to
contact our county commissioners at commissioners@tetonwyo.org
and ask them to hold the line on 450 units (including
employee units). Ask them to place a density
cap on the proposal and increase the amount of
open space required to mitigate in part the impacts
of a development capable of housing about 3,000
people at any one time. And please thank the
commissioners for their diligence in wanting
to protect the public wildlands surrounding the
resort. Background information is available at:
www.jhalliance.org/Library/Perspectives/GrandTarghee.10-07.htm and
www.jhalliance.org/Library/PressReleases/GrandTarghee.6-07.htm.
WILSON MIXED-USE VILLAGE SUB-AREA PLAN -- Teton
County Planning Commission Hearing, Dec. 10,
6 p.m. County Commissioners’ Chambers,
200 S. Willow. With the adoption of Chapter 8
of the Comprehensive Plan in 1999, Wilson was
identified as an appropriate location for a “mixed-use
village.” Typically, mixed-use villages
are places where there’s a high-density
mix of commercial and residential uses, often
sharing the same property. Wilson was named because
it already had commercial elements that could
help reduce vehicular trips to Jackson for basic
services, but just what constitutes a mixed-use
village in Teton County has never been decided.
In general, the goal of the draft plan is to
take the work of previous planning efforts in
2001 and 2003 one step further with the development
of proposed land development regulations and
zoning changes. The sub-area is approximately
180 acres and includes properties on both sides
of the Highway 22 corridor.
Based on public input received at an Oct. 4
open house, planning staff is proposing a density-neutral
option (as opposed to an option of increasing
density) as its preferred alternative. Visit www.tetonwyo.org/plan and
click on the Wilson Mixed-Use item in the Announcements
box for details. Of primary interest to the Conservation
Alliance is the boundary definition of the mixed-use
village and associated placement of increased
density and/or development potential. Given the
presence of lands in the area that provide important
wildlife habitat, the distribution of development
potential should be closely evaluated.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE -- Clarion Associates,
the Comp Plan consultant, will return to Jackson
in January for a third round of meetings. We’ll
post dates, times and locations on our website
as soon as they’re available. During December,
Clarion is compiling public comments on defining
community character and a preliminary land use
plan. It’s critical for you to comment
as soon as possible, so that your interests and
ideas are voiced in these early stages of the
update. Please speak up! Visit www.jacksontetonplan.com for
details and to submit comments on the website
blog (click on Public Input, then on Get Involved,
then on Join the Plan Blog). You may also email
your comments to feedback@jacksontetonplan.com.
For information on the Conservation Alliance’s
involvement in the Comp Plan update, contact
Community Planning Director Kristy Bruner at
(307) 733-9417 or kristy@jhalliance.org.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS -- Dec. 18,
9 a.m., County Commissioners’ Chambers,
200 S. Willow St., Jackson. To help alleviate
Jackson Hole’s housing crunch, the Teton
Board of County Commissioners will consider a
permanent text amendment change (following its
emergency resolution this past fall) to increase
the amount of deed-restricted affordable housing
developers are required to provide. To review
the proposed text amendment changes, visit www.tetonwyo.org/plan and
click on the Affordable Housing item in the Announcements
box. Meanwhile, the Jackson Planning Commission
is tentatively scheduled to continue its discussions
about an ordinance to change the mitigation rates
in the town’s
land development regulations at its Dec. 19 meeting
(5:30 p.m., Town Council, 150 E. Pearl). Concerns
about the unintended consequences of such a change
dominated the debate about the proposed changes
during a town planning commission meeting in
November.
The Conservation Alliance supports policies
that demand sufficient mitigation from developers
to offset one of the primary effects of rapid
growth -- a lack of affordable housing. The 2007
Housing Needs Assessment, available from the
Teton County Housing Authority, recommends increasing
the mitigation rate to 40 percent. (For comparison,
in Aspen, Colo., 60 percent of new housing units
are required to be affordable.) The assessment
also recommends increasing the fees developers
would have to pay in lieu of providing affordable
housing. Substandard mitigation rates have caused
pressure to allow high-density spot zoning in
inappropriate places, risking our community’s
wildlife and rural character. For these reasons,
the Alliance supports efforts to increase mitigation
and will advocate for further commitment during
the Comprehensive Plan revision process.
SNAKE RIVER CANYON RANCH, ROUND TWO -- Teton
Board of County Commissioners, Jan. 29, 9 a.m.,
County Commissioners’ Chambers, 200 S.
Willow St. On Nov. 26, the Teton County Planning
Commission voted 2-2 to hold a special meeting
to continue discussion on this proposal at the
Planning Commission level. Because the motion
failed, commissioners then voted 4-0 that findings
could not be made that the application was in
compliance with Teton County’s land development
regulations. (In general, this application proposes
a shift from a lodge-based resort to a residential-scale
development at the old Astoria Hot Springs near
Hoback Junction.)
Teton County planning staff has done an excellent
job of outlining reasons that the application
does not comply with our land development regulations.
Conservation Alliance concerns include the following:
the increase in disturbance to Natural Resource
Overlay lands, the overall change in the development
pattern on the parcel (and the net increase of
nearly 145,000 square feet of development), and
the failure of the application to demonstrate
criteria worthy of the resort designation and
the associated density bonuses. During this second
round of the review process, the applicant has
done little to modify the application. As a result,
concerns remain unresolved.
UPDATE ON OSPREY CREEK (OLD TETON VILLAGE ROAD
KOA) DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL -- On Nov. 13, the
Teton Board of County Commissioners, in a 4-1
vote, denied the Osprey Creek Sketch Plan and
associated amendments. The developer had sought
a rezone to a Planned Unit Development for Affordable
Housing District -- a significant upzone for
this 15-acre parcel in an area intended for low
density. The Conservation Alliance commends the
commissioners for their careful consideration
of this proposal and their resulting decision
to uphold both the intent of the Comprehensive
Plan and the purpose of the Natural Resource
Overlay, which is to protect the valley’s
irreplaceable wildlife and other natural resources.
UPDATE ON NATURAL RESOURCE OVERLAY HABITAT MITIGATION
-- On Nov. 20, County Commissioners approved an
amendment to refine and clarify the habitat mitigation
requirements in the Natural Resource Overlay. (If
developers disturb private lands that the county
has determined are critical wildlife habitat, they're
required to improve habitat on other private land
in the county on a basis of two acres of habitat
enhancement for every one acre of disturbed NRO
land.) One of the modifications under consideration
was a questionable alternative for developers to
provide mitigation on public lands, if "no
reasonable options exist to complete the required
mitigation on private land." Wisely, the commissioners
voted 3-2 to remove this public lands option.
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3) Condominiumization,
Pine Glades and 5-Way on Town’s plate
APARTMENT-TO-CONDO CONVERSIONS -- Jackson Planning
Commission, Dec. 19, 5:30 p.m., Town Council
Chambers, 150 E. Pearl. An item strongly linked
to our affordable housing problem in Jackson
Hole is an upcoming ordinance to streamline condominium
conversions. If passed, condo conversion applications
will not have to go through a final development
plan process. Without this process, conversions
won’t
have to abide by affordable housing mitigation
requirements that other development types must
comply with. Also, many renters who are integral
to our community, and part of the workforce,
will likely be displaced as a consequence of
the conversions.
Rental units that formerly functioned as workforce
housing are lost and likely to remain out of
reach for affordable occupation when converted
to market rate ownership units. This ordinance
will not only circumvent regulations meant to
gain additional affordable housing units for
our community, it will also contribute to the
loss of rental units, further exacerbating our
affordable housing problem. Please consider emailing
Mayor Mark Barron at mbarron@ci.jackson.wy.us and
the Town Council at electedofficials@ci.jackson.wy.us with
your concerns.
PINE GLADES FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN -- Dec.
19, 5:30 p.m., Town Council Chambers, 150 E. Pearl. On
Aug. 20, the Jackson Town Council approved a sketch
plan for the Pine Glades development on Snow King.
The applicant will now go before the Planning Commission
for final development plan approval. The Conservation
Alliance recognizes that building a 39-unit development
on a prominent hillside containing steep slopes
(greater than 40 percent) is not optimal in terms
of safety or visual impacts. That aside, owners
of other parcels in the vicinity have been granted
variances to enable use of their land. The key
issue is not about whether it’s appropriate
to develop this parcel given current zoning, but
rather the degree of intensity of development that’s
technologically feasible, safe and unobtrusive
in this part of town, and in Jackson in general.
5-WAY INTERSECTION RECONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP --
Dec. 17, 3 p.m., Town Council Chambers, 150 E.
Pearl. After eight years, a plan
to improve the intersection of Broadway, Pearl
Ave. and Flat Creek Drive is nearing the
home stretch, but not without complaints that
it doesn't include bike lanes. On Dec. 17, the
Town Council will discuss proceeding with easement
agreements needed for the proposed reconstruction,
which Town staff and the Wyoming Department of
Transportation reportedly designed around a "complete
streets" model. This model calls for considering
pedestrians and cyclists in transportation planning,
but so far no lanes
or pathways specifically designed for bicyclists
are included. (Planners have said that expanded
road shoulders should suffice to accommodate
cyclists.) Details on the plan are available
at www.townofjackson.com (click
on "Jackson Government," then "Meeting
Agendas,"
then "Town Council Meeting Agendas," then "Special
Town Meeting Agenda & Workshop, Monday, December
17," then "5-Way Intersection"). You may
wish to email Mayor Mark Barron at mbarron@ci.jackson.wy.us and
the Town Council at electedofficials@ci.jackson.wy.us with
your concerns.
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4) Potential
relocation of Bridger-Teton HQ leads public
lands news
BAD MOVE? -- A front-page story in the Aug.
30 Jackson Hole Daily broke the news that the
Forest Service was considering moving the Bridger-Teton
National Forest supervisor’s office out
of Jackson. Now, after weeks of crying foul by
locals, regional Forest Service officials say
they’ll hold a meeting in Jackson to let
the public enter the discussion regarding the
future of the office.
The regional director’s proposal to sell
some or all of the 15 acres in Jackson where
the supervisor’s office now stands, and
then move the headquarters to a less expensive
setting (Pinedale, Afton or Alpine), has raised
many concerns and questions. How would this relocation
affect the Bridger-Teton’s working relationships
with its partners -- Grand Teton and Yellowstone
national parks, the National Elk Refuge, the
Game and Fish Department and local governments?
What would this move mean to the effectiveness
of the numerous commercial and environmental
interests -- including the Conservation Alliance
-- that work regularly with the forest? How would
this impact the 50-some local forest employees
and their families? How would losing these community
members affect Jackson Hole? What could happen
to the valuable land sold in Jackson? Would all
the money generated from the land sale actually
end up building a new headquarters and employee
housing, or would it be siphoned off to some
other forest and its projects?
We’ll keep you posted as to when and where
you’ll have the opportunity to ask these
and more questions. Meanwhile, please write the
following people with your concerns:
Ms. Gail Kimbell, Chief
USDA-Forest Service
1400 Independent Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-8333
Mr. Harv Forsgren, Regional Forester
Intermountain Forester
324 25th St., Ogden, UT 84401
Please also consider asking Wyoming’s
congressional delegation to continue their efforts
to help in this matter:
U.S. Sen. Barrasso
senator_jbarrasso@barrasso.senate.gov or
307 Dirkson Senate Office Building, Washington,
D.C. 20510, (202) 224-6441;
U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi
379 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington,
D.C. 20510, (202) 224-3424,
Email via: http://enzi.senate.gov/email.htm
U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin
1114 Longworth, HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515,
(202) 225-2311,
Email via: http://www.house.gov/cubin/zip_auth.html
HOBACK WELLS -- On Dec. 10, the Forest Service
published a "notice of intent" to study
plans by Plains Exploration and Production Company
[PXP] to build 136 or more gas wells
on 17 pads in an environmentally sensitive area
leased by the company at the north end of the
Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton. (This scoping
notice is required under the National Environmental
Policy Act, which compels the Forest Service
to analyze potential environmental impacts of
projects proposed on the forest.)
The
new EIS replaces one that was to analyze only
the drilling of three exploratory wells. About
19,000 people commented on the original EIS this
past spring -- almost all were opposed to drilling
in the forest. In June, PXP asked Forest Service
officials to expand their environmental analysis
and let the company develop all the leases it
owns in the Upper Hoback area instead. The CEO
of PXP has said that he hopes to find natural
gas reserves there on par with the highly industrialized
Jonah Field south of Pinedale.
Your comments concerning this proposal are critical.
As outlined, the project would disturb at least
400 acres in a location that includes crucial
habitat for threatened species, as well as
summer ranges and birthing areas for big game,
plus important migration corridors for
mule deer, elk, moose, lynx and pronghorn. PXP's
plan also calls for building and/or upgrading
more than 29 miles of roads in one of the largest
backcountry areas of the Bridger-Teton, the 315,647-acre
Grayback Ridge roadless area. (Visit www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html and
type "PXP" into the search field for links to
details about the company's proposal. For background
information, visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/HobackWells.8-07.pdf.)
Please email your comments by Feb. 7, 2008,
to: comments-intermtn-bridger-teton@fs.fed.us with "PXP
Master Development Plan" in the subject
line. Or mail them to Greg Clark, District Ranger,
Big Piney Ranger District, P.O. Box 218, Big
Piney, WY 83113.
HELP PROTECT THE FOREST AND SNAKE HEADWATERS
-- Of all the threats facing the forest that
surrounds Jackson Hole, none could cause greater
harm to wildlife, the environment and our tourism-based
economy than energy development. This past fall,
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso introduced federal legislation
that, if passed, would prohibit future oil and
gas leasing on the Wyoming Range of the Bridger-Teton
National Forest. Based on work begun by the late
U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas, the Wyoming Range Legacy
Act of 2007 would also allow buybacks of exploration
and development rights already sold to energy
companies, which could be an option to avert the
proposed PXP development described above.
A diverse coalition that includes conservationists,
sportsmen and many others who believe this 1.2-million-acre
area southeast of Jackson is too special to drill
helped craft this bill, but your help is needed
to make sure it progresses through Congress,
which reconvened on Dec. 3. What’s the
next step? It’s up to Sen. Jeff Bingaman,
D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee to schedule a hearing. However,
the bill may well end up mired in the committee’s
end-of-the-year backlog of land and energy legislation.
(This backlog includes the Snake Headwaters Legacy
Act -- visit www.jhalliance.org/Library/Alerts/SnakeRiver.8-07.pdf for
more information about it.)
Please help by sending a note of support to the
members of Wyoming’s congressional delegation.
(Their contact information is given above.)
GOLD MINING ON THE B-T? – Bridger-Teton
officials say they will likely approve a request
from the owners of a mining claim in the Gros
Ventre River drainage to spend 75 days next year
digging exploratory pits to look for gold, silver
and platinum. In November, Jackson District Ranger
Dale Deiter said the claim owners have sought
permission to dig 15 to 20 12-foot-deep test
holes on a 5-acre parcel on Cottonwood Creek.
Should the site prove commercially profitable,
the owners could then seek to expand the mining
operation to more than 340 adjacent acres. Dieter
said an 1872 mining law would make it difficult
for the Forest Service to deny the test project,
which could be allowed under a categorical exclusion,
a project considered too small for environmental
review under the National Environmental Policy
Act. Stay tuned for more on this as it progresses.
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5) Protect
Wildlife -- Don’t Poach the Powder!
The sun is out. There’s a new layer of
pristine snow covering the hillsides. Wow! You’ve
got just enough time to get one or two runs down
that slope right in back of the house. What a
temptation! So easy, so close -- yet so harmful
to the wildlife that depends on those slopes
for their winter habitat.
Don’t Poach the Powder is a campaign to
help people recognize areas in the valley that
are closed to human activity during the winter
to protect wildlife. The long, cold winters in
Jackson Hole are great for recreation, but difficult
for wildlife. Deep snow covers the vegetation
needed for food, hinders movement when animals
need to seek shelter, and depletes the energy
reserves they need to make it through till spring.
In 2000, the Conservation Alliance asked several
partners to help fund a project to inform locals
and visitors alike of the need to stay out of areas
closed to protect wildlife. Now in its seventh
year, Don’t Poach the Powder has reached
hundreds of community members and garnered the
support of an ever-increasing number of organizations,
businesses and agencies. Please grab a Don’t
Poach the Powder brochure at local ski shops or
visit www.jhalliance.org/dontpoach.pdf for
the closure maps, share them with your friends
and neighbors, and DON’T POACH THE POWDER!
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6) Wyoming
wolf management plan adopted
On Nov.16 in Thermopolis, the state’s
Game and Fish Commission unanimously adopted
Wyoming’s wolf plan. Although the Conservation
Alliance strongly opposed the plan, it now appears
that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will
accept it and move forward with removing Northern
Rocky Mountain gray wolves from the protection
of the Endangered Species Act, turning their
management over to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
Our state still has several hurdles it has to
go through before delisting is complete. The
Conservation Alliance has been told that public
meetings will be held in Jackson and other communities
where various rule-making and hunting season-setting
discussions will occur. We’ll keep you
posted as to the locations and dates, which will
likely be in early January. Please visit www.jhalliance.org/issueswolves.htm for
more information on this issue.
In related news, the Environmental Protection Agency
is seeking public comment on a petition to ban
two kinds of poison commonly used by government
agents to kill livestock predators. Please visit www.sinapu.org and
click on “Help Ban the Two Deadliest Predator
Poisons” for details.
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7) County
bear
conflict discussions continue
To deal with an increase in bear-human conflicts,
Teton County commissioners are in the process
of evaluating an amendment that would require
homeowners in certain areas of the county to
use bear-proof trash containers and reduce other
bear attractants on private land. A workshop
on the Bear Conflict Mitigation and Prevention
Amendment (AMD 07-0007) will take place Dec.
3, 10:45 a.m., at the County Commissioners' Chambers,
200 S. Willow. Depending on the workshop’s
outcome, county commissioners are tentatively
scheduled to review and discuss the proposed
amendment again on Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. (same location).
The Conservation Alliance strongly supports and
commends proactive efforts to minimize conflicts
with bears, and will continue to work with all
parties to establish the most effective policies.
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8) State
Game and Fish sets Dec. 19 meeting on black
bears and bison
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department will present
its plans to permit more female black bears to
be killed here, plus discuss its
Brucellosis Management Action Plan for the Jackson
bison herd at a public meeting scheduled for
Dec. 19, 7 p.m. at the Antler Motel conference
room, 50 W. Pearl Ave. Details on changes to
black bear hunting seasons, harvest quotas and
baiting regulations are available at http://gf.state.wy.us/downloads/pdf/BlackBearMgtPlan-Final.pdf.
The bison portion of the meeting will allow the
public to ask questions about a plan to reduce
brucellosis transmission among wildlife and livestock.
A draft of the bison plan and instructions for
commenting should be available by Dec.
14 at http://gf.state.wy.us/wildlife/brucellosis/index.asp.
Basically the plan proposes reducing the Jackson
herd from about 1,200 to 500 bison, improving
habitat, vaccinating bison against brucellosis,
and minimizing the risk of disease transmission
by keeping bison and cattle separated. Game and
Fish will accept written comments on the bison
plan through Jan. 18, 2008.
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9) Thinking
about end-of-year giving?
The approach of year-end prompts us to check
our giving -- as well as other financial affairs
-- to make certain we have accomplished what
we intended. The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
is blessed by many donors whose generosity is
expressed at this time of year.
You can designate your gift to benefit any program
of the Alliance, such as Public Lands, the Endowment
Fund, Community Planning, Building Fund, Community
Outreach, General Fund or to address any specific
issue of special interest to you. Undesignated
gifts are used by the Alliance for strategic
initiatives in programs or equipment and supplies.
Many friends give in gratitude for some benefit
that they or their family have received, while
others give in honor of or in memory of a loved
one.
As you consider giving to the Alliance, keep
the following principles in mind:
- To be deductible on your 2007 tax return, your
gift must be received or postmarked by Dec. 31.
- All gifts to the Alliance are deductible to
the full extent allowed by law. The Alliance
promptly issues a receipt to document your gift.
- Gifts of cash or cash equivalents (checks,
etc.) are deductible up to 50% of your adjusted
gross income (AGI), and gifts of securities and
other valuables up to 30% of your AGI.
- Gifts of appreciated securities often offer
the most benefit because your deduction is based
on the market value the date of the gift and
you avoid capital gains tax. But to gain
this advantage, the securities must be transferred
to the Alliance prior to sale.
- Giving depreciated securities is most advantageous
to you if you sell them first (to take a deduction
on the loss), and then make your gift.
- The newly enacted Pension Protection Act allows
people over age 70-1/2 to make gifts up to $100,000
in 2007 from their traditional IRAs tax free. To
complete a gift of this nature in time for a
2007 deduction, please start the process with
your IRA custodian early in December.
- The Alliance also accepts gifts of real estate,
life insurance policies, certificate of deposit
and other valuables. Because the valuation
processes vary with the gift and often take time,
these gifts should be started prior to year-end
to receive a deduction in 2007.
Thank you for considering the Jackson Hole Conservation
Alliance among your priorities for year-end giving. If
we can assist you in any way, please contact
Lisa Vogelheim at the Alliance at (307) 733-9417
or Lisa@jhalliance.org.
(The purpose of this item is to provide general
gift information. It is not intended as legal,
accounting or other professional advice. For
assistance in planning charitable gifts with
tax and other financial implications, the services
of appropriate advisors should be obtained.)
GIFT MEMBERSHIPS -- The holidays will be here before
we know it and now’s a great time to consider
giving your friends and family members Alliance
gift memberships. They’re a thoughtful way
to share your love of Jackson Hole, and perhaps
inspire new conservation advocates. Please visit www.jhalliance.org/join.htm for
information on member benefits, and click on “Give
a Gift Membership” for our secure online
donation system. Or simply call us at (307) 733-9417
or stop by our office at 685 S. Cache St. for more
information.
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10) Celebrate
another year of keeping Jackson Hole wild and
beautiful!
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 6 to 9 p.m., St. John’s
Episcopal Church Parish Hall
Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance Annual Meeting
and Holiday Party
Please join us for this popular event, which
this year will feature a presentation on the
Art of Living with Wildlife by Charlie Craighead,
author of "Who Ate the Backyard?" A
short business meeting will start at 6 p.m.,
to be followed by Charlie's talk at 7 p.m.; then
enjoy live music with Margo Valiante from 8 to
9 p.m. Holiday beverages and hors d'oeuvres will
be served. Please help us celebrate another year
of keeping Jackson Hole wild and beautiful! ($5
suggested donation.)
More details are available at www.jhalliance.org/Library/PressReleases/LiveWithWildlife.11-07.htm.
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11) Valley
Echoes
“He who has not
Christmas in his heart will never find it under
a tree.”
- Roy L. Smith
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Alliance Action is a publication of the Jackson
Hole Conservation Alliance. The Jackson Hole
Conservation Alliance is dedicated to responsible
land stewardship in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to
ensure that human activities are in harmony with
the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic,
and other natural resources. The Alliance is
a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization.
(If you no longer wish to receive this e-newsletter,
please send a note saying you’d like us to
remove your email address from our list to: allianceaction@jhalliance.org.)
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