Hilary Eisen, Policy Director, Winter Wildlands Alliance

One hundred and twenty-two ski resorts operate on National Forest lands, and Grand Targhee Resort is one of several currently seeking to expand. The potential impacts of this expansion and the concerns voiced by the Teton Valley community are familiar to those living and working in ski towns across the country. 

In 2011, Congress passed the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act, updating the 1986 National Forest Ski Area Permit Act. The 1986 Act authorizes the Forest Service to issue special use permits for up to 40 years for the use and occupancy of National Forest System lands for commercial skiing operations. The 2011 Act clarifies and expands the types of activities permitted under these special use permits, most notably to include summer activities such as zip lines and mountain bike trails. As our climate warms, winters become shorter, and snowfall less reliable, summer activities are becoming an increasingly important part of the ski resort industry’s business plans. The 2011 Act spurred a wave of ski resort expansion proposals, many of which, like Grand Targhee, feature increased footprints, expansion of summer activities, and development of adjacent private lands. 

The outcomes of this process to determine Grand Targhee’s future will reverberate far beyond Teton Valley. This project has the potential to set precedent for how the Forest Service considers other proposed or future ski resort expansions in other locations. By standing up for the quality of our community and public lands and ensuring the Grand Targhee Resort grows in a sustainable manner, we can provide a model for other communities to do the same.