Wyoming Association for Environmental Education

(Spring/Summer 2000)
Across Wyoming, the concept of sustainability is emerging in the mission statements of organizations and agencies. These missions speak to the idea of a balance between current community needs and long-term sustainability. Where the balance point lies, however, is usually very controversial. Two examples of this are land use and water quality/quantity.

When land use issues are raised, Teton County usually comes to mind. The community of Jackson flourishes economically from recreationists drawn to the scenery, wildlife, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Old West flavor. Tourists come in growing numbers and that means expanding resorts, which means service workers who need to live somewhere. Wealthy people build enormous second homes that sprawl across former ranches and require gardeners, housecleaners, construction and maintenance people who need to live somewhere.

The desires for economic growth and financial benefit endanger the very characteristics that created the economy. Scenic beauty is diminished by tracts of homes crowding the edges of Grand Teton National Park. Wildlife that relies on the valley for winter survival is displaced; migration corridors are blocked. Hordes of backcountry users degrade the wilderness experience. The historical and cultural sense becomes a caricature as ranches sell out to upscale "western-style" resorts.

Residents of Teton County are beginning to address short-term prosperity vs. long-term resource protection. A coalition of non-profits, individuals, and governmental bodies wrestle to find the balancing point. One effort, facilitated by the Institute for Environment and Natural Resources (Univ. of Wyoming), involves a working group respresenting the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, National Parks and Conservation Association, Jackson Hole Land Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Teton County Commissioners, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Spring Gulch Preserve, the Wyoming Governor's Office, and local landowners. This effort is looking specifically at the issue of sustaining agriculture and the benefits of agricultural open space in an environment of escalating land values and development pressures.

One piece of the balancing act is currently being negotiated. Some on the working group have proposed purchasing a conservation easement on a 900-acre ranch bordering Grand Teton National Park by using federal royalties from below-surface mineral rights on BLM land in Wyoming. If the deal is successful, the approach could be used to protect open space on other nearby ranches. Opposing the preservation side of the balancing act are those who object to losing potential land for much-needed affordable housing in a county with 90% public lands and housing costs 78% above the state average. There are no easy answers, but at least the questions are being discussed.

Water quality and quantity are major issues in all western states. The goal of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts is to balance water protection with agricultural and tax base stability. In 1994, a task force created a strategic plan directing each conservation district to develop comprehensive watershed management plans. Subsequently, some conservation districts took a proactive stance to involve landowners, management agencies, communities, and industry. This involvement required education efforts to explain current local water issues and to look at future impacts from industrial and agricultural activities, urban growth, and federal management decisions. It is hoped that community education through school outreach programs, adult programs, and citizen task forces will enable people to understand the opposing forces that make it difficult to define beneficial, sustainable, and best uses of water.

With a small population and a large resource base, Wyoming had not faced sustainability issues until recent population growth raised questions about quality of life and the consequences of growth. In 1995, the Governor hosted a statewide conference on "The Wyoming Partnership: Natural Resources for Today and Tomorrow" to look at options and resources for dealing with sustainability. Heightened awareness is bringing communities together to discuss where the balancing point between current use and future needs lies. Some communities are looking into the future and bigger battles that could occur if they don’t act now. As one landowner put it, "We've got some decent choices about our…future. But the trick is to get each of us to look at our options through the windshield, not the rear view mirror. And to work with one another. That's just good business."

Information for this article provided by the Institute for Environment and Natural Resources and Bobbi Frank, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts.