Conservation on the Ballot
October 19, 2026
A note from Rebecca McKay Singer, Policy Director
Your vote counts, especially on conservation issues at the local and regional levels. Conservation is on the ballot this November, and with 8 seats up for grabs (2 Town Council Members, 3 County Commissioners, and 3 Teton Conservation District Supervisors), your vote is vital. Local elections are decided by small margins; a few votes here or there can determine who gets elected.
Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are extraordinary, but what makes this place special doesn't protect itself. The decisions made by our Town Council and Teton County Commissioners will help shape the future of our water, wildlife, open spaces, housing, and the character of our community for generations to come.
You’ve heard the statistic before: 97% of Teton County is federal or state land. We once thought of these nearly 2.5 million acres as protected. With threats like a Major League Baseball field in Grand Teton National Park, we now know the sanctity and protection of these lands is no longer a given, and we can’t take it for granted.
The remaining 3% of private land is approximately 88,000 acres. That’s the size of Philadelphia and its greater metropolis. That’s the size of 25,000 professional baseball fields (thankfully not in Grand Teton). But don’t let these percentages fool you. Geographically, Teton County is in the heart of the GYE, and we make up 12% of it land-wise. What we do here matters for conservation locally, county-wide, and ecosystem-wide. What our elected officials do or don’t do can have ramifications for years to decades to come. In other words, your vote matters, and it matters a great deal for conservation. While the Conservation Alliance cannot tell you who to vote for, make sure your vote is a vote for conservation.
Where can you learn about candidates and their values and experience? Check out the Conservation Alliance’s 2026 Election Guide. It’s a handy, one-stop resource to see candidates’ responses to our hard questions, where you can vote, and election tips and helpful reminders.
Ask candidates your pressing questions in person at the Candidate Conservation Forum on Wednesday, October 21 at the Teton Science Schools’ Jackson Campus. The candidate meet-and-greet starts at 5:30 pm and the Forum starts at 6:30 pm. This forum is co-hosted by the Conservation Alliance and Protect Our Water Jackson Hole.
Thank you for caring about Jackson Hole and for making your vote count for conservation.
