A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF JACKSON, WYOMING, RECOGNIZING
THE VALUE OF FEDERAL LANDS TO THE TOWN’S ECONOMY, RECREATION,
HERITAGE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE; AND OPPOSING ANY PROPOSAL FOR THE STATE
OF WYOMING TO TAKE OWNERSHIP AND/OR CONTROL OF FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS
WITHIN THE STATE OF WYOMING
WHEREAS, Teton County includes some of the most beautiful and iconic landscapes on
Earth, most of which are federal public lands owned by all Americans; and,
WHEREAS, these federal public lands, which comprise 97 percent of the land area of Teton
County, provide public recreational opportunities for residents and visitors for wildlife
watching, hiking, hunting, fishing, backpacking, boating, riding snow machines and all-terrain
vehicles, horseback riding, skiing, bicycling, sightseeing, and numerous other outdoor
recreational activities; and,
WHEREAS, these federal public lands provide essential habitat for some of America’s
greatest wildlife populations; and,
WHEREAS, federal public lands in Teton County, Wyoming, are the foundation of the tourism
economy in Jackson and across the State of Wyoming; and
WHEREAS, federal ownership and management of public lands in Teton County assure both
the stewardship and preservation of these nationally significant lands and the wildlife and
natural resources they contain; and,
WHEREAS, Jackson and Teton County residents are actively collaborating among diverse
interests and with public land managers to improve public land management and public
access; and
WHEREAS, federal public land management agencies employ residents of Jackson and
Teton County who are passionate and expert at their jobs, pay taxes, and contribute to our
community; and
WHEREAS, Teton County’s forests are naturally prone to fire, including periodic large-scale
fires, as part of the ecosystem in which they have evolved over millennia, although a warming
climate has accentuated the process; and federal money and expertise to suppress wildfires
is essential to protecting our communities, infrastructure, and public lands; and
WHEREAS, continued federal ownership and management of public lands in Teton County
ensure public access to and environmental protection of these lands and the resources they
contain,
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL OF JACKSON,
WYOMING:
That the Jackson Town Council opposes any and all efforts by the State of Wyoming to
obtain the wholesale transfer of federal lands in Wyoming to the State of Wyoming,
That the Jackson Town Council strongly supports federal ownership and management of
public lands in Teton County and the incredible value federal lands bring to our county’s
economy, recreation, heritage, and quality of life.