Last Monday night, the Planning Commission met to discuss the wildlife feeding amendments, including county-wide bear resistant container standards and additional language on securing attractants for the third time. Before they jumped into a promising discussion on how to move the updated version forward, the Commission heard from an impressive list of topic experts to better understand the complexities of this issue and how to get it right. The list of speakers included local and regional experts from County staff, agency professionals, waste management entities, nonprofit representatives, and wildlife professionals from communities who have successfully implemented wildlife feeding regulations and bear-resistant trash cans. The Alliance was asked to speak on “what’s next” once the updated regulation is adopted.
Watch the January 24 meeting here. Review the latest staff report and LDR draft here.
We want to thank Ryan Hostetter for putting together an impressive agenda and list of participants, and the Planning Commission for all the work and research that they have put into this update. We are confident that with proper planning and implementation, these regulations will be adopted with benefit to all.
The Alliance, along with a group of nonprofits including the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and The Cougar Fund, is committed to supporting the County through successful implementation once the regulations are adopted, specifically, aiding with compliance, financing, and public education. Our organizations are interested in helping to create private and public funding mechanisms to help trash haulers transition to bear-resistant trash cans countywide and assisting all residents in accessing the necessary infrastructure to secure other wildlife attractants. More specifically, we are interested in forming and facilitating a bear smart committee, comprised of local community members, stakeholders, community officials, waste management representatives, and NGO’s, to communicate and engage homeowners in Teton County to comply with the updated regulation.
The Planning Commission will meet a final time on February 28 to approve the amended Wildlife Feeding Land Development Regulation and recommend the draft for review and adoption by the Board of County Commissioners.
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