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Alliance awarded $25,000 grant from Cross Charitable Foundation to protect Grand Targhee from massive expansion

Alliance awarded $25,000 grant from Cross Charitable Foundation to protect Grand Targhee from massive expansion

On December 16, 2021, the Cross Charitable Foundation announced that it awarded $25,000 to the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance for grassroots advocacy related to the Grand Targhee Resort expansion proposal. The Cross Charitable Foundation assists organizations actively engaged in promoting the conservation and preservation of wildlife in our country and the world, with particular emphasis on conserving wildlife habitat and wildlife migratory routes. 

Grand Targhee Resort has proposed a major and problematic expansion, and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF) is evaluating the proposal through an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The proposal would impact the local wildlife, public lands, economy, housing, and community of Teton County WY and Teton Valley ID. If approved, Targhee would expand their boundaries by ~900 acres next to the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area, which is critical habitat for isolated populations of bighorn sheep and grizzly bears, among other species, and within the Canada lynx area of influence. The expansion would also more than double the amount of skier capacity (from 3,000 to ~6,200 skiers/day) and would compound pressure on housing, transportation, local infrastructure, and natural resources.   

The good news: this expansion isn’t inevitable. Many local residents and organizations, including the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, are determined to improve the proposal so it is not harmful to wildlife or the community. With Cross Charitable Foundation funding, the Alliance will increase our participation and engage our local governments, constituents, and non-profit partners to seek an outcome for this proposal consistent with our values of protecting wildlife, wild places, and community character. 

The Alliance has worked to prevent harmful proposals at Targhee for decades and is committed to advocating for the best possible outcome in the current National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. We learned many lessons from our recent Snow King expansion campaign and are eager to apply these lessons to influence the Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision with the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. 

The Cross Charitable Foundation funding will support the Alliance’s grassroots campaign to encourage public involvement throughout the Targhee NEPA process and advocate for responsible development within existing boundaries and for mitigation measures to offset impacts. 

Thank you to the Cross Charitable Foundation for supporting a vision of a sustainable future for Grand Targhee Resort and the communities it serves. 

To stay up to date about our work with Targhee, check out our webpage, donate to the campaign, or sign up for news alerts.

Click here to read the full press release

Phone: (307) 733-9417
info@jhalliance.org
685 S. Cache St. PO Box 2728
Jackson, Wyoming 83001