JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance was awarded $25,000 from the Cross Charitable Foundation to protect Grand Targhee Resort from a “massive expansion proposal.”
The Cross Charitable Foundation announced on December 16 that it had gifted $25,000 to the 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 expansion which the Alliance calls “problematic.” 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 Wyoming and Teton Valley Idaho. If approved, Targhee would expand its boundaries by about 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 around 6,200 skiers per day) and would compound pressure on housing, transportation, local infrastructure, and natural resources.
“The good news is this expansion isn’t inevitable,” the Alliance stated. “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 nonprofit partners to seek an outcome for this proposal consistent with our values of protecting wildlife, wild places, and community character.”
The Alliance has battled numerous proposals at Targhee for decades while also fighting expansion at Snow King Resort in Jackson.
“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 Alliance said.
The alliance has done more to crush affordable housing than any other entity… its time to tell these bozos to take a hike!