JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to replace the current visitor center in Jackson with a larger facility just north of its current location on N. Cache.
A 30-day public comment period on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed replacement will be from September 21 through October 20, 2021. The National Elk Refuge will also host an outdoor open house on September 29 and 30 to introduce the draft plans to the community and answer questions about the proposed project.
The proposal would construct a new Visitor Center just north of the existing 7,500 square foot facility. The new center would be larger to better accommodate increasing visitor use, provide an accessible experience, and improve operational efficiency. The completely redesigned Visitor Center would include indoor and outdoor components and will enable the Service to reach a more diverse audience, both within the local community and among the millions of national and international visitors to the Jackson Hole area each year.
The Service’s goal is to create a welcoming space where new audiences can be introduced to the Refuge, to opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, to the Refuge’s role in providing wildlife habitat, and to the broader conservation goals of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The replacement Visitor Center would physically and symbolically serve as the front door of the Service within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
