Alta, Wyoming — Grand Targhee Resort seemed close to approval for a major 694-acre expansion. The U.S. Forest Service released its draft Record of Decision (ROD), which would have approved the South Bowl. It just needed to get through the objection period. That hasn’t gone well.
In the months that followed that ROD, over 2,000 comments came in, many opposing the proposal. Environmentalists, backcountry skiers, and local officials spoke out in opposition. This included an official letters from Teton County in Idaho and Wyoming, Wyoming Fish & Game, and Grand Teton National Park.
If you’re curious about what’s in the plan, I’ll attach this link to a previous write-up. The gist is that Grand Targhee wants to get a couple of terrain expansions approved, a new restaurant atop Fred’s Mountain, plus new lifts and other infrastructure projects.
Teton Valley News reports that the U.S. Forest Service held an objection resolution meeting last week for the expansion proposal. These meetings aren’t common, which shows how divisive this process has become.
Why People Are Against It
During the meeting, objectors were asked to explain why they opposed the plan and what solutions could address their concerns. The most common solution respondents suggested was removing South Bowl from the proposal.
The South Bowl expansion is hated by both backcountry skiers and environmentalists. Backcountry skiers would lose a good chunk of terrain, while it would impact a high-alpine environment for bighorn sheep. Forest Service officials countered by saying that their migration patterns have shifted in the past.
“Expanding a ski resort into this area, introducing chairlifts, avy control, snowmaking — that level of impact is very much above and beyond the backcountry skiing impact that is already going on. We anticipate they will just abandon that area completely,” said Ali Courtemanch of the Wyoming Fish and Game Department.
The restaurant also caught some strays, including from the Mayor of Driggs. The concern is that it would permanently alter a skyline that is pretty majestic.
“Fred’s Mountain would introduce a permanently new structure into one of the most distinctive landscapes in the northern Rockies,” said August Christensen, Mayor of Driggs.
As a skier, I do want to say Targhee needs an on-mountain restaurant. They currently have dining available at the base area. Considering its status as a destination, it’s kinda surprising they don’t have one. Perhaps the solution is to reduce the restaurant’s size.
The biggest complication probably comes from Teton County, Idaho. While Grand Targhee is in Wyoming, you have to drive through Idaho to get there. This puts a lot of strain on local resources, even though it doesn’t receive direct tax revenue from the ski resort. They are looking into how they could potentially receive some financial support from this arrangement, but they don’t benefit much for now (outside of tourism dollars in Driggs and Victor).
Now, the Forest Service will respond to each objection and adjust its record of decision if needed. If they don’t make any adjustments, lawsuits from local officials are likely.
Did Grand Targhee Resort Do Enough To Convince Skeptics?
One thing I noticed was how Grand Targhee Resort officials weren’t at the meeting and didn’t offer a request for comment for Teton Valley News’s article.
They’ve been pretty quiet throughout the process, with the most notable advocacy being a dedicated page on their website about the expansion. I don’t think they did enough to advocate for downhill skiers’ desire to see Targhee grow, especially since they already decided to downsize their expansion.
Still, it’s a tough situation to jump into, as it’s clearly a passionate debate amongst the community. Now, it seems like the Wydaho ski resort may see some upgrades, but the long-dreamed-of expansion into the South Bowl could be shot down.
If it’s just that removed, there will be things to look forward to. This includes the Mono Trees terrain expansion, a chairlift in the North Boundary zone, the replacements of Dreamcatcher and Snoshone, and an additional chairlift on Fred’s Mountain.
Image/Video Credits: Grand Targhee Resort
