Jackson Hole Underground

Thank heavens we have eagle eyes watching over our forests.

Regional Director Harv Forsgren put an end to the sad comedy the U.S. Forest Service has staged in recent months over proposed relocation of the Bridger-Teton supervisor’s office.

Forsgren, who has been under a barrage of criticism from all sectors of the community and even his own employees, announced at a press conference Thursday that the agency will remain in Teton County.

However, according to the Jackson Hole Daily, the Forest Service will go ahead with plans to sell part or all of the 15-acre site on North Cache Drive, a parcel estimated to be worth up to $50 million. Selling public land is the only way the Forest Service can pay for construction of a new headquarters, Forsgren said.

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Last night’s meeting with the Forest Service was an IMAX-caliber theater of the absurd. Citizens eviscerated the agency’s proposal to move its Bridger-Teton headquarters from downtown Jackson and sell up to $50 million worth of public land. All 14 people who spoke denounced the plan.

Some of the sharpest words came from Hank Phibbs, representing the county and city government. Phibbs said the Forest Service is “engaged in a shadow dance,” having already made a decision and holding a public meeting for show.

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If you can brave the blizzard raging outside to drive to Jackson Hole High School this evening, the Forest Service will be on the marquee as it tries to explain why the agency’s headquarters should be moved to Lincoln or Sublette counties.

Maybe Regional Forester Harv Forsgren always wanted to have his name in lights.

When we last left off with this boondoggle, the Forest Service, led by Forsgren in Ogden, Utah, claimed that it was considering selling part of its 16-acre site on North Cache Drive — prime real estate at the entrance to town — because of the high cost of housing employees in Jackson.

“Let’s put the myths to rest” wrote Forsgren in an op-ed in the News&Guide, fending off questions about the agency’s motivation.

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Today’s the day the Forest Service brass has come to town to talk about why it’s pulling up the stakes of the Bridger-Teton supervisor’s office on North Cache.

Although there has been no official announcement, the Forest Service superiors are here, as one insider put it, to “let us down gently,” having already decided to move the office charged with managing 3.4 million acres to Alpine or Afton, an hour away.

These public officials are going to sell public property and move a critical public lands office without any public input — in fact, over the objections of Wyoming’s congressional delegation and a wide spectrum of community economic and environmental groups.

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A bus that stops atop Teton Pass could reduce traffic and conflicts over parking.

Public bus service is set to begin next month between Jackson and Teton Valley, Idaho. And while the route is designed mainly for commuters, transportation officials are open to the idea of shuttling skiers to and from Teton Pass.

“It’s something that could be considered,” says Michael Wackerly, director of the START bus system in Jackson. “We’ll probably wait to see what the ridership level will be in winter to make that decision.”

Teton Pass is the area’s most popular winter trailhead, and limited parking at the 8,400-foot summit has created headaches for skiers and snowboarders wishing to access the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

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