[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6534366,"mediaKeyId","3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef","parentId",3626311,"title","County hears Forest Service briefing on Grand Targhee expansion; draft EIS comment period closes June 20","audioSeconds",3510,"startMs",3963000,"endMs",7473000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef&start=3963&end=7473","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef/thumbnail_3963000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6534366/Teton-County/Wyoming/County-hears-Forest-Service-briefing-on-Grand-Targhee-expansion-draft-EIS-comment-period-closes-June-20","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534366-38028034cfe28df77ef6fe9ec32542a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770609402&Signature=jRISqkcK1L2N6~7oREh1615V5TMBybFzACWtooDRfLi9j0JZtXY-JB6rrXKnHmDEBv2yIAidehVMqsvn5XrvLCvfQii~tAeCM7q9jhGbuXP82OcpJ1J3CAdERrBS5MhxkQAAj570eE75yVNXfRv0BfAcJBOA8E5OK4Kfyirfshz2Bc3oSviX-w6kU2RCALupK8d2EGZMs2O8K36bEEE5FgxjvQPfJYpAD-IvXoQe0M~gHq3aRbswv~p5TQiFe5bDtU6Hsq~fQ0St9CXbtgQcA2-IVfK6ySe-JkCnldP2VEHFL~tG~mNQWHNH6UPlAF1d7U0OWo5yQJnfHuexWB5KkQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Teton County","date","2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","article","District Ranger Jay Pence of the Caribou‑Targhee National Forest briefed Teton County commissioners on June 2 about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Grand Targhee Resort’s proposed expansion and urged written comments before the public comment period closes on June 20.

The draft EIS analyzes a range of alternatives, including the resort’s proposed action to expand the ski‑area permit boundary by roughly 866 acres to include the Mono Trees and South Bowl areas, install new chairlifts and make on‑mountain improvements. \"There are five alternatives discussed in detail,\" Pence said, adding that the Forest Service had not identified a preferred alternative at the draft stage so all options remain under consideration.

Why it matters: the proposal would change the resort footprint on national forest land, and the EIS addresses effects across recreation, wildlife habitat, scenery, traffic and local public services. County commissioners said they intend to provide technical comments on socioeconomic impacts, emergency services, parking and other community costs that the document does not fully quantify.

What the proposed action would do
- Expand permit boundary by about 866 acres (Mono Trees and South Bowl) and add chairlifts in both areas. The proposal also would replace two existing lifts and add four additional lifts and two “magic carpet” conveyors within the ski‑area permit area. The EIS describes run cutting, tree removal and selective snow‑making on some traverses, plus new on‑mountain guest facilities referenced in the master development plan.
- The resort’s master development plan accepted by the agency in 2018 serves as the guiding vision; the EIS is the vehicle to analyze implementation of portions of that plan.

District Ranger Jay Pence said the Forest Service contracted Snow Engineering to prepare the document and that the draft grew into a large, data‑heavy analysis. \"I don't know if you had a chance to look at this 600‑plus page document,\" Pence said, noting the length reflected extensive study and many cooperating‑agency inputs.

Process and timing
- The Forest Service opened the draft EIS for public comment; the comment period currently closes June 20. Pence said he had sought an extension but had not been able to confirm one and advised commissioners to assume the June 20 deadline.
- After the comment period closes, the contractor will perform content analysis of comments and the Forest Service will reconvene an interdisciplinary team to determine whether the draft requires modification; the final EIS and a proposed decision are anticipated in 2026, with a potential decision next summer.

Issues raised by the county and commissioners
- Socioeconomics and public costs: Commissioners asked that the EIS better account for public‑service costs associated with expanded resort use — emergency response, law enforcement, roads, search and rescue, solid waste and schools. Pence said cooperating agencies were relied upon to provide local socioeconomic data and that county input can strengthen that portion of the analysis.
- Avalanche control and public safety: Pence explained that a primary safety rationale for adding certain lands to the permit area is to allow resort personnel to conduct avalanche mitigation inside the permitted boundary. \"If you're going to do avalanche control, you need it to be within your resort boundary,\" he said; adding the South Bowl acreage to the permit would allow avalanche control associated with on‑mountain operations to occur within the permit footprint.
- Wildlife: The record shows uncertainty about wintering bighorn sheep in the South Bowl; the Forest Service had difficulty getting camera data to confirm presence and said further analysis is part of the EIS review.
- Wildfire and fuels mitigation: Commissioners asked about wildfire risk and evacuation given the ski‑area’s single primary access (Ski Hill Road). Pence said fuels reduction along Ski Hill Road and other operational corridors is planned and that the Forest Service would pursue funding to implement mechanical treatments to reduce wildfire risk and improve firefighter operational opportunities.
- Night skies and lighting: Commissioners raised concerns that upland lights can increase sky glow under cloudy conditions; the EIS includes dark‑sky considerations and would require lighting downcast and time‑limited in some uses.

Role of the county and next steps
- The county holds cooperating‑agency status and may designate an interdisciplinary team contact to provide technical input. Pence asked the county to name an ID‑team representative so the Forest Service can coordinate directly; commissioners were advised to send an email to Chris Colligan, the county project manager, naming a point of contact.
- Commissioners and staff said they would compile and submit technical comments. Chris Colligan told the board he will gather commissioners’ points and present a draft county letter for the board to consider at the next meeting.

No county decision was required at the workshop. Commissioners and staff were briefed on the proposal, encouraged to review the draft EIS, and directed to submit written input through the Forest Service comment process.

Ending: The Forest Service will accept written comments into the administrative record for the draft EIS; District Ranger Jay Pence said he was available for follow‑up questions by email and phone and that the Forest Supervisor will make the eventual decision on the project.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Teton County - Voucher Mtg - Jun 02, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","District Ranger Jay Pence of the Caribou‑Targhee National Forest briefed Teton County commissioners on June 2 about the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Grand Targhee Resort’s proposed expansion and urged written comments before the public comment period closes on June 20.","taxTitle","Teton County, Wyoming","taxId",63785,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6534352,"Commissioners approve June 2 vouchers and a 24‑hour catering permit; agenda adopted unanimously",62,47000,109000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef&start=47&end=109","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef/thumbnail_47000.jpg","/articles/6534352/Teton-County/Wyoming/Commissioners-approve-June-2-vouchers-and-a-24hour-catering-permit-agenda-adopted-unanimously","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534352-bf32131228498e0b09a016a64e1d2609/orig.mp4?Expires=1770609402&Signature=WKv3Eve-mu4JXh7XQVa~dDQv-RvHDwFeWZAEx0HT8O~Mr1dLyoxR0oQlRf04kyYt8po6hWHwprtnp~1VMX2r1GqIZ5-Y-82wjMvE9viswj6owDPT7mBZ5n7u5lXSrPf~RxM6yeVBp67gCRRexhDq0iB35AL6vcaCownKVIyVgaX31FyyZshVtUmcaVlBMCbSgrXtMAJeHHNV17eAKnzWL89y2tRkd~gkcHsrCt-FmkaNK1p7iHdKdDbCRXjIINEh22B46Hm5Ydis~Js7yDt300vNrqQr5M54DVVEdpDTHBOVWS1MV5LkYNjUFiaJbM5fpi-IxHe6p13RPmHGByZGYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Teton County commissioners handled routine administrative business at the June 2 voucher meeting and approved three motions recorded in the public minutes.

Votes at a glance
- Agenda adoption: Motion to adopt the June 2 agenda carried unanimously. (Mover: Commissioner Gardner; Second: Commissioner Carman.)
- Voucher approval: Motion to approve the county voucher run dated 06/02/2025 in the amount of $486,699.98 carried unanimously. (Mover: Commissioner Probst; Second: Commissioner Gardner.)
- 24‑Hour catering permit: Motion to approve a 24‑hour catering permit for West Group Terra LLC, Spur Catering, for an H2 Capital consulting reception dinner at Teton Village Commons (33305 West Teton Village Drive) on Aug. 8, 2025 carried unanimously. (Mover: Commissioner Gardner; Second: Commissioner Carman.)

Attendance and procedure: At the start of the meeting the chair noted that all commissioners were present. The board received no off‑agenda public comment and then proceeded to administrative items and consent‑agenda pulls. No further substantive action was taken during the voucher meeting; later in the agenda the board moved toward workshops and a draft EIS briefing.

Ending: Commissioners later recessed to workshops; an executive‑session motion was introduced later in the meeting for a real estate discussion (see minutes for the executive‑session entry).","At the June 2 voucher meeting the board adopted the agenda, approved the county voucher run of $486,699.98 and approved a 24‑hour catering permit for West Group Terra LLC Spur Catering for Aug. 8, 2025. All recorded motions carried unanimously.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6534356,"General Services Building near completion; justice center design to return to town design review June 11",281,301000,582000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef&start=301&end=582","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef/thumbnail_301000.jpg","/articles/6534356/Teton-County/Wyoming/General-Services-Building-near-completion-justice-center-design-to-return-to-town-design-review-June-11","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534356-d5527c7319b02cada06634b73ae5a274/orig.mp4?Expires=1770609402&Signature=afMgxZPfcoyZHbaIgJWvdHSCH6ALFqyxClEh2A~pxoJ~SZFyQqcroSHxikrCwTDr2FV6ZKYGmbFL5fhAQV4Miqn3NqUXZuJpeXzCAEDt4XtYdyjZ~cJhyJnjNK2MgnW35fYZdfXhJT1nnGY0q-hRpeiLwXE96vG9htSIUZS7O7uYNhtVZZYtZSJhMiAqXgHI4T3cOJY-1cRWDMYWP5j8Nm4M5Ws9a0sSq5yQACcpa40mxzcXnMd0uq2i~sXeRaYeKpnUJ6qpyBeYGiHfQgeOccpexabCQCdlC2olbPzW3p4jIwwVchkrUwK9M3FzL~4GwcDOzQKMaAw8GSjHQurK4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Berning Project Management and the county’s owner’s‑representation team briefed commissioners on June 2 on progress for the General Services Building (GSB) and the Justice Center.

General Services Building
Jason Berning, project manager with Berning Project Management, said finishes are wrapping up in June and the county expects turnover of the completed GSB this month. \"We'll be wrapping up finishes here in the next couple weeks, in prep for final inspections. Turnover of the space is scheduled for June,\" Berning said.

He reported owner contingency and construction contingency remaining: about $23,000 in owner contingency and roughly $16,000 left in construction contingency. The project is under a guaranteed maximum price contract, Berning said, and any savings at closeout would return to the county for potential future projects such as a new roof. Berning also described final closeout tasks — punch list, as‑built drawings, warranties and final billing — that can take up to 60 days.

Justice Center
Tom Ference, the county’s owner's representative for the Justice Center, said the team did not win design review on the first pass and is making adjustments to respond to the town’s Design Review Committee (DRC). The design team plans to return to the DRC on June 11, proceed to planning and zoning on June 18 and then, tentatively, to town council on July 22 if the sketch plan gains approval. Ference said the next major milestone is a design‑development set due in late July that will be forwarded to G Johnson DPR for a construction estimate.

Schedule and risks
Commissioners asked which milestones posed the most schedule risk. Ference and Berning identified the temporary modular buildings (permits and approvals) and the entitlement process as the elements with the tightest turnaround. They said the target start for demolition is mid‑February and that the construction duration for the new Justice Center is about 25–26 months, which would put move‑in in spring 2029 if the schedule holds.

Commissioners asked about the specific concerns raised by the DRC; Ference said the committee’s primary feedback focused on the building’s perceived massing, the three‑story scale and façade treatment on eastern and northern elevations, and the need to improve the design character and relieve massing with stepped parapets and canopy adjustments.

No formal county action was required during the update; county staff will continue coordinating design revisions, planning applications and permit timelines.

Ending: Project managers emphasized that the GSB closeout is imminent and that Justice Center design revisions aim to address DRC comments before the June 11 meeting.

","County project managers told commissioners on June 2 that the General Services Building is on track for June turnover with modest contingency remaining and that the Justice Center design will return to the town's Design Review Committee June 11 after revisions addressing scale and facade concerns.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6534361,"Teton County kicks off two‑year strategic‑initiatives program; eight projects, six‑month updates planned",2123,1353000,3476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef&start=1353&end=3476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3626311-be318d1a8565596cb0027fc4393334ef/thumbnail_1353000.jpg","/articles/6534361/Teton-County/Wyoming/Teton-County-kicks-off-twoyear-strategicinitiatives-program-eight-projects-sixmonth-updates-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6534361-ae6112bc95a44efc3cbc213e1eb9b0af/orig.mp4?Expires=1770609402&Signature=otcCGlWqlzG5pevxGNeJ7JW1YXHkS6Eh6e39lGdPYP018R1jtOTgwmNIIC5OdQXkFbNOnZ~qKAV~UmGG4MF-EqYLDh3EbfSv3Oho82DVlfZJ~wmtHQkIFL5ZS5hOPIieqR2A0UklHflm0hWfdftnpdP7tvTcM3uPo9~NgE2U80hcoZxZ13zhejgA3yLMscf08yb4wNS5-ak7ioAvIC2Os~Lcfd~vmq35kpMls0lKvmbEbwQss~IH1QXKNhH43vl5sY2s3fTZSm3fQfIqh~6bYXHL2Gevz-fZU4Rrl4kKwhaeYnR3eT~RigLY7pN9bzD4NgFXcvIaSVe1Pj9CLs2tLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cal Bracken, innovation and engagement manager for Teton County, led a June 2 workshop to kick off a two‑year strategic‑initiatives process that county staff will steward through December 2026.

Why it matters: the program organizes county priorities into measurable objectives and timelines and formalizes project leads and reviewer check‑ins. The commission backed a structure of shared templates, regular updates and staff‑led project teams, with commissioners providing input as a committee of the whole.

What was presented
- Scope: eight strategic initiatives with seven project leads and 25 listed collaborators. Initiatives highlighted include ecosystem stewardship and natural resources (led by Chris Neubecker, planning director), policy and organizational structure (led by Jody Pond, commissioners’ administrator), climate sustainability (led by Eric Kimball, sustainability coordinator), transportation (led by Charlotte Fry, transportation manager) and community early childhood education and care (led by Cal Bracken).
- Templates and cadence: each initiative uses a shared template with objectives, how the objectives will be accomplished, and a summary of progress. Key briefing dates include a six‑month update (July 28, 2025), 12‑month update (January 2026), 18‑month update (July 2026) and a final report in December 2026.
- Early framing: Bracken described a \"mission‑oriented\" approach and used a working example for the early‑childhood initiative — an illustrative, time‑bound concept of broad access to infant care by 2030 — explicitly presented as a discussion model rather than a board proposal.

Commissioner and staff direction
- Commissioners asked for clearer, measurable key results and for project leads to sharpen templates into actionable milestones; Bracken and project leads acknowledged several templates need further specificity and said workgroups will refine key results as meetings proceed.
- Commissioners said they prefer to provide input as a committee of the whole rather than through single‑member liaisons; staff and Bracken said they will accept commissioner inquiries and one‑on‑one engagement where appropriate, but the working structure will be staff‑led.
- Public engagement: staff said they will develop outreach strategies to bring the initiatives to the community and consider targeted engagement for specific initiatives (for example, early childhood and conservation). Project leads will report progress on the published templates and provide periodic updates to the commission.

\"This is the beginning of a living document,\" Bracken said, describing the \"clay on the table\" phase of broad idea generation that will, over time, become \"meat on the bones\" as projects mature and measurable key results are added.

Ending: The board requested regular updates and asked staff to proceed with the template‑driven process; Bracken said the next formal update is scheduled for late July and that project leads will continue refining objectives and key results with staff and collaborators.

","Teton County staff presented a two‑year strategic initiatives program on June 2, outlining eight initiatives, named project leads, a shared template for objectives and key results, and a schedule of six‑month updates through December 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County hears Forest Service briefing on Grand Targhee expansion; draft EIS comment period closes June 20

Commissioners approve June 2 vouchers and a 24‑hour catering permit; agenda adopted unanimously

General Services Building near completion; justice center design to return to town design review June 11

Teton County kicks off two‑year strategic‑initiatives program; eight projects, six‑month updates planned