Support Grand Teton National Park’s Preferred Alternative for Moose-Wilson
Be a voice for Grand Teton National Park’s magnificent wildlands and wildlife
SAY YES TO ALTERNATIVE C
The Moose-Wilson corridor is a remarkable 10,000+ acre piece of Grand Teton National Park that offers exceptional habitat for wildlife and recreational opportunities for people. The National Park Service (NPS) is working diligently to create a thoughtful, comprehensive management plan that will protect park resources and values in the ecologically rich Moose-Wilson corridor. Having released an Environmental Impact Statement and their preferred alternative (Alternative C), the NPS is now accepting public comment on the plan. Several weeks ago, The Cougar Fund – along with several other local conservation organizations – expressed our strong support for Grand Teton’s preferred alternative.
Now, we need you to let the NPS know that you, too, support their preferred alternative.
Reasons to support the National Park Service’s preferred alternative
Please start your letter by saying, “I strongly support Alternative C” for the following reasons (use any, or all of them, but try and use them in your own words):
- It’s VERY important
- Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) has long struggled with ‘what to do’ with the glorious Moose-Wilson corridor. Alternative C is the result of extensive research and analysis and upholds the core values of the National Park Service to protect the resource, while providing for public enjoyment….the resource (wild-lands and wildlife ) is clearly the priority. Alternative C has the immeasurable benefit of including an Adaptive Management approach which will allow GRTE to respond to changing needs in the corridor. This offers the very best opportunity for honing and perfecting strategies to protect the area.
- It protects the resource by:
- Saving more than 3000 trees.
- Averting enormous construction impact and emissions.
- Protecting unique indigenous artifacts.
- It protects wildlife by:
- Further decreasing speed and usage. There were far fewer confirmed wildlife vehicle collisions between 1991 and 2015 on Moose-Wilson Road compared to significant wildlife-vehicle collisions on a north park road through similar habitat that has a higher design and operating speed. (Parts of the northern road are year round unlike Moose-Wilson and there are higher travel numbers, but it is a good example that width, clearer sight lines, and increased speed have a greater negative impact on animal mortality)
- Preventing widespread habitat loss from new construction, allowing animals to remain in familiar and undisturbed refuge.
- Reducing the risk of negative encounters between people and large mammals including grizzly bears and moose.
- It protects people by:
- Slowing traffic and managing it at reduced speed
- Adding speed bumps and controlling user numbers at appropriate heavy traffic times.
- Increasing safety for experienced cyclists who take responsibility for riding through a narrow road with extensive wildlife. (Similar to the differences between skill levels on ski runs, or when hiking and climbing, or white-water versus still-water recreation
- Being a financially responsible alternative
It is critically important that your comment be unique in nature; repeat letters or form letters (i.e., copying and pasting talking points) will be consolidated and only considered as a single comment. The above talking points are only meant to serve as background information and guidance to help you draft your comment. Writing your own, unique comment is the most effective way to support the NPS and advocate for the protection of wildlife and their habitat.
Please submit your comments below via the National Park Service PEPC website by January 30, 2016.
