The First 30 Days: A Letter from the Executive Director
Happy Spring (ish?)! I heard my first hummingbird of the season this morning along with other sounds that trigger thoughts of summer, like killdeer and sandhill cranes. The days seem to be moving quickly, as I am one month in as ED and always humbled to have almost 45 years of history beneath me. To say I’ve seen just the tip of the iceberg is an understatement. I’m learning about the various eras that the Alliance has had, and overall many of the issues my team and I face today are similar to what we have over the years. The one big difference is the scale of change that is happening.
Currently, Northern South Park, the largest development outside of town was just approved and the process of shaping it’s efficacy for our two and four legged residents is yet to come; we have the largest building ever built in Jackson being proposed at the gateway to Jackson from the north; development of Stilson that could rearrange 50 acres and turn what is currently mostly open space and a dirt lot at the core of elk migration and winter moose habitat into pavement apartments, retail, daycare among other things that simply don’t belong there; Karns Meadow, one of the last safe havens for wildlife within town, is teetering between remaining a resource for our community to retreat to and enjoy the abundance of wildlife activity as locals know to do – from a distance, to another pathway bisecting habitat and disrupting movements. These are just a few of the issues looming, but knowing these areas I hope you also feel the weight of the decisions currently pending.
With our recent addition to the Alliance team, we are fully staffed and pushing forward on the critical issues faced by Jackson Hole. Will you join us? Please consider making a donation to the Alliance today, so we can continue working to protect all of Jackson Hole’s tomorrows!
If you’d like to meet me in person and talk about your concerns facing our wildlife, wild places and community character, please reach out to me at jenny@jhalliance.org
