Ecosystem Stewardship Department

What will the Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator do? What is the focus of the Ecosystem Stewardship Department? The scope of this position and department still have to be agreed upon, as there is an overwhelming amount of work to be done. Members of the Systems of Conservation group created a list of examples of potential responsibilities of a new stewardship-focused department:

Water: Our drinking water supply is compromised; our public water systems lack the most basic protections. Water quality issues are now at the forefront of public concern. Timely implementation of the water quality strategies included in the Comp Plan updates will require significant new resources and dedicated staff time to complete. Roles could include:

Lead the development of a water quality enhancement plan

Oversee the implementation of the Comprehensive County-Wide Wastewater Management Plan, update local regulations

Coordinate with Public Health on monitoring contaminants in public water systems  

Develop stormwater management best practices   

Identify tools to protect our sole source aquifer, including the creation of an Aquifer Protection Overlay, Source Water Assessments and Protection Plans, etc.  

Develop a river and levee management plan

Engage with state and federal agency’s on planning and rulemaking processes

Engage in water resource management (e.g., Wild and Scenic Rivers)

Land: Conservation of both private and public lands are essential for ecosystem functionality. Your departments of planning and building services, public works, parks and recreation, and health make daily decisions with far reaching environmental repercussions; these lack input from a dedicated ecological staff person. We need ecosystem stewardship staff to guide internal processes within Town and County, and to partner with federal/state agencies and represent the vision of our community. Responsibilities could include:

Private Land Plans, Projects, and Policies:

Ecosystem Monitoring: updating Natural Resource LDR’s, exploring restoration efforts

Define ecosystem stewardship goals and metrics, as called for in the Comp Plan

Develop an Ecosystem Action Plan and implement strategies outlined in the Comp Plan (e.g., a cumulative impact study)

Development Proposals: Provide structure/criteria/guidelines for formal review of new development, transportation, and land management projects

Develop improved tools and incentives for open space preservation in the county

Public Lands Plans, Projects, and Policies:

Review new plans, actions, and policies of state and federal agencies for their alignment with community goals (e.g. proposed Targhee expansion, Elk Feedgrounds)

Manage existing easements in the Teton County Scenic Preserve Trust (TCSPT), and identify and acquire new strategic easements

Shepherd high-value land transfers (BLM parcels, State Trust Lands)

Wildlife: With reduced water quality and quantity, lost and degraded habitat, and severed corridors, wildlife populations of all kinds and sizes are threatened directly and indirectly. We lack coherent policies and programs to reduce these individual and cumulative impacts. A professional natural resource manager could:

Implement the Wildlife Crossings Master Plan

Develop tools and partnerships with landowners to mitigate human-wildlife and wildlife-livestock conflicts, like Chronic Wasting Disease

Measure/monitor landscape permeability for wildlife, critical habitat, and connectivity

Review and promote “living with nature” programs and regulations (bear-proof trash cans, wildlife friendly fencing, fire prevention in wildland urban interface)

Climate Action / Sustainability: Climate change is a cross-cutting threat to our wildlife and ecosystem, wild lands and vegetation, and community character. We have a responsibility to reduce our impact on the global climate crisis felt even here in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Jackson Hole has an outsized impact on the national and international policy debate on climate, and while we can’t prevent climate change alone, we can be part of the solution rather than the problem.  We appreciate the addition of a new goal for climate action and a Climate / Sustainability Action Plan in the Comp Plan Update, and we believe this project would fit well in the new ecosystem stewardship department.

How will the Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator and Department function? Just like the Planning Director, the Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator will be a senior level position housed within it's own Ecosystem Stewardship Department (ESD) and will report to the Community Development Department within the Town of Jackson. While the details of the ESA's job still have to be agreed upon, the ESD's focus will be to fulfill the Comp Plan’s Vision: “Preserve and protect the area’s ecosystem, in order to ensure a healthy environment, community and economy for current and future generations.”

Drawing on the precedent of other local government departments and community interests, the Town of Jackson may someday opt to develop an Ecosystem Stewardship Commission (ESC), a body analogous to those focusing on planning, housing, design review, and the like. If it comes into being, its structure will be determined by Jackson’s Town Council, but it is legally allowable that membership can be open to people living outside of not only the Town of Jackson, but Teton County Wyoming. If the need grows to hire more staff or otherwise expand the ESA’s responsibilities, the additional costs will be paid for by local government.

Why is this position exclusively within the Town of Jackson, and not a joint position and department with Teton County? By adopting the Comp Plan, Teton County and the Town of Jackson formally embraced a vision of preserving and protecting the area’s ecosystem. Not just the ecosystem within the town’s boundaries. Not just the ecosystem within the county. The ecosystem in the entire Tetons area. However, Teton County and the Town of Jackson are taking two separate-but-complementary tracks to help achieve their shared Vision to “Preserve and protect the area’s ecosystem...”

- Teton County's government is choosing to focus its environmental stewardship efforts on understanding and addressing the county's water quality problems, challenges, and opportunities.

- The Town of Jackson has proposed creating an Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator position in its proposed FY 2022 budget.

Although ideally this position would be housed in a joint department, the two efforts will likely collaborate on many shared issues and
concerns.

Why are grassroots funds being raised? The Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator position in the Town of Jackson FY 2022 budget is proposed for $140,000, which would cover salary, benefits, and minimal program costs. However, the potential responsibilities of this position and department are many –whether addressing our water, wildlife, public lands, or climate needs – and that costs money. To ensure the Ecosystem Stewardship Department can function at its highest level, we are helping to raise grassroots funds to offset the additional unfunded costs of this position, such as programmatic costs, consultants/specialty services, and ideally, an additional staff person. Raising additional funds for nonbudgeted items will show grassroots support for the creation of this position and department and ensure its success. The goal is to raise a one-time effort of $50,000: $10,000 from small donations ($100). Thanks to the support of a generous donor, the first $5,000 of small donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar.