Voting at 3 PM Mountain time
Dear AMPL Community,
I’m sure many of you are wondering where things stand on the final Teton County WPLI proposal that was being considered by our County Commissioners last Tuesday. You have probably read stories in the JHNG this week that some WPLI members are working on a new proposal with hopes of some last minute grand bargain that is acceptable to all. We at AMPL don’t see that as a feasible option, but we’ll gain more information at next Board of County Commissioners (BCC) Meeting, being held Tuesday, Oct 16 that 3 pm.
Tuesday October 16th at 3:00 pm the BCC will reconvene at 200 S. Willow Street and will either vote to approve or deny the Final WPLI Proposal that was presented last week (the one that proposes the largest loss of snowmobile, mountain bike and dirt bike access in 34 years). It is my understanding that public comment on this proposal has been closed. However, as you may have seen there are ads in the paper this weekend from several of the conservation groups supporting this proposal. These conversation groups are encouraging members of the public to show up and ask our commissioners to vote YES. AMPL plans to attend this meeting and will be representing the 150 or more of you that were there last Tuesday standing up for our access, and asking our Commissioners to Vote NO. If, like myself, you’re still concerned for the outcome of this process and want to come out in support of access for mechanized and motorized recreation then by all means do so! If you can’t make it, please encourage a friend that cares about access to join us. I would love to tell you to just stay home, but my instinct is telling me that we need to see this thing through to the end!
This process has been going on for almost two years, and unfortunately it has all come down to recreational access, and which users should and shouldn’t be allowed on our public lands. The conservation industry is standing hand and hand trying to close access on 1/3 of all public lands in Teton County that are currently open to responsible snowmobiling, mountain biking and dirt biking. It’s very apparent that the Greater Yellowstone Collation, The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, The Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, The Wyoming Wilderness Association, The Backcountry Horseman of America and the Wyoming Outdoor Council all feel that snowmobiling, dirt biking and mountain biking are the largest threat to the 18% of public lands in Teton County that are not National Parks or already designated Wilderness. As good stewards of these lands I’m sure you will agree with me that they subscribe to an ideology that is exclusive and not inclusive.
Thank you for your continued support, and hope to see you Tuesday.
Jesse Combs
President
Advocates of Multi-Use of Public Lands