1% for the Tetons Blog
Reshaping Development Patterns in Teton County, Idaho
We all know that the lands surrounding the Teton Range are some of the most beautiful and unique pieces of ground on earth. We also know that the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is one of the most important relatively intact temperate ecosystems remaining in the world, and the Teton region makes up an integral part of Greater Yellowstone.
Teton Valley a top conservation priority
But, did you know that Teton County, Idaho, was ranked the #1 conservation priority in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem? It’s true. In 2001, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition commissioned a study of 42 conservation “mega-sites” in Greater Yellowstone, and then prioritized them on the basis of the irreplaceable qualities of the ecosystem and the threat posed by human development.
Why didn’t Jackson and Teton County, Wyoming, make the top of that list instead of Teton Valley? (more…)
Keeping the Tetons wild and beautiful
Wyoming Wilderness Association works to protect wild lands for the long term benefit of people and wildlife. Many who live here understand the basics of caring for the place. Stewardship of natural resources is a number one priority for most residents as revealed in the recent local planning process (60% of all comments received). As one commenter stated: “Once you have allowed growth (use) to occur in an irresponsible manner, it will not be possible to ever recreate the beauty of this valley or bring back wildlife destroyed …” Many people who live, work and visit this valley tend to agree.
WWA believes that we need effective communication tools to accomplish the goal of protecting this place. (more…)
Recording the Great Animal Orchestra of the Tetons: A Murie Center and Wild Sanctuary Project
Dr. Bernie Krause of Wild Sanctuary in Grand Teton National Park.
The natural soundscape of the Tetons is its unique voice. No other place on earth sounds quite like the various habitats that make up those of the Tetons. The biological soundscapes within these Teton biomes feature powerful narratives that we are just beginning to understand. Help us create a crucial soundscape of Jackson Hole’s wild nature and wildlife by donating to this project at the 1% for the Tetons website.
The project will include calibrated base-line recorded samples of biophonies (natural soundscapes) throughout the Tetons watershed and a breakdown of the data for analysis and further study. (more…)
Bentwood Inn extends thank you to One28 Finalists
1% for the Tetons is very proud of each of the 19 Finalists. In part this is because of the quality of their proposals; in part, it’s because of the hard work each has put into creating them for, and promoting them through, the One28 process.
As a way of saying thank you, the Bentwood Inn — a member of 1% for the Tetons and one of Jackson Hole’s nicest bed-and-breakfasts — has donated 19 gift certificates to us, one for each of the 19 Finalists.
Spread Creek Haiku
Concrete dam blocks fish
Once removed cutthroat trout spawn
Please support, dam right
Learn more about the Spread Creek Reconnect project at the project page, where you can watch a 5-minute video and download the project application
Help TSS save the American pika
Climate change is a real and rapidly increasing risk to plants and wildlife that define the Rocky Mountain ecosystem. One alpine-dwelling species in particular, the American pika, has emerged as a significant indicator species. Research indicates that climate change may be the cause of declining pika populations in alpine communities throughout the West. Pikas, the smallest member of the rabbit family, are well adapted to alpine environments. They thrive in cold, snowy winters, and are physiologically incapable of dealing with warm temperatures or with extreme exposure that comes with low-snow years. Little is known about pika distributions in Wyoming or the environmental factors that may affect their persistence. Because of their sensitivity to temperatures, pikas are an excellent species to evaluate biological impacts of environmental change.
Our project, “American Pika Distributin,” will enhance understanding of pika distributions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), improve scientific literacy by engaging community members in field research, and promote awareness of alpine ecosystems. Pikas are an excellent indicator for how abiotic factors are affecting the natural resource community and particularly how temperature is affecting alpine ecosystems.
Support from 1% for the Tetons will allow us to achieve the following project outcomes:
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Give a HOOT and support the PoO-PoO project
Help Teton Raptor Center keep owls from getting in this predicament.
Our work at Teton Raptor Center is to help birds of prey through education, conservation and rehabilitation. Raptors in our ecosystem face a number of human hazards in their quest for survival — vehicles, windows, power lines — and believe it or not porto-o-potties; in particular, the vault toilets all of us have probably used and will use when making a pit stop in our national parks and forests.
There is growing documentation by regional resource managers that small owls are being trapped in these vault toilets after the owls enter through open-topped vent pipes leading to the waste holding reservoirs below. Once they enter the waste pit they are trapped and unable to fly back up the pipe or out through the toilet.
So, why would an owl want to go into a large, dark pipe? (more…)
Freedom Riders seek to build Candyland Trail
Teton Freedom Riders’ proposed project is the construction of the Candyland Trail; a “freeride trail,” meaning it is user-specific to downhill mountain bike traffic. The 7,000 linear feet of new trail will begin at the Jimmy’s Mom Trail on the south side of Teton Pass and will terminate at Crater Lake. From this point users will naturally transition onto the Parallel Trail. The funding would cover the cost of Candyland’s initial construction effectively separating downhill and freeride mountain bikers from all other trail users.
The speeds that downhill and freeride mountain bikers achieve are a risk to other trail users. The current trail system forces downhill mountain bike traffic onto a multi-use trail, the Phillips Ridge Connector Trail, then a section of Old Pass Road. This situation has provoked concerns about safety and has created user conflict. The inception of this trail will segregate the downhill mountain bike traffic from all other users resolving the current user-conflict and safety issues we are beginning to experience on Teton Pass.
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Restoring GTNP Whitebark Pine
Note: this is a guest post by the Grand Teton National Park Foundation in support of their “Restoring GTNP Whitebark Pine” project.
Grand Teton National Park has 9,300 acres of whitebark pine, and park ecologists are helping lead an ecosystem-wide strategy to conserve these forests. Non-native white pine blister rust is killing small whitebark and limber pines and, most importantly, affecting whitebark pine cone production. An epidemic of native mountain pine beetle is exacerbated by climatic warming trends and killing more trees than expected. In recent years, park biologists have identified pine stands that appear to be disease-resistant, ‘caged’ cones to protect them from seed predators, and collected the seeds for potential propagation to use in restoration if needed.
Our proposed project will accomplish propagation of disease-resistant seeds over the next two seasons, (more…)
One28 Countdown Banner Is Up!
This just in: the One28 Countdown banner is now up outside of Cutty’s at the corner of Hwy 22 and Broadway! Though we’re not positive, we’re told this is the busiest intersection in Wyoming. Regardless, it is definitely the busiest in Jackson, and we’re hopeful this is going to get some attention. With our fancy new sign, you can watch the days tick by as you pass this intersection.
But we hope you don’t just watch without getting involved. The sign is to bring attention to the fact that there are only 28 days to raise $300,000 for our 19 grant finalists. We’ve never raised that much money just from our Members in any single year so we’re asking you, the good citizens of Teton counties Wyoming and Idaho — and beyond — to help bridge the gap.
Learn more about all of the projects by watching 5-minute videos by each Finalist on our Projects page. From each project detail page you can make a donation via Google Checkout and watch the progress with a funding thermometer associated with each project.
But don’t wait: we’re now down to 25 days to fund our future!
