BTNF move stalled by vocal opposition

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

By Jake Nichols

A letter from the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce to Jack Troyer, head of the Intermountain Region of the National Forest Service, has snowballed into an avalanche of opposition to a preliminary consideration of relocating the Bridget-Teton National Forest supervisor’s quarters from Jackson to either Alpine, Pinedale or Afton.

Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, along with Representative Barbara Cubin, drafted a letter of their own to Troyer on Sept. 13. In it, the Congressional delegation alluded to a mounting local displeasure in a proposed move, stating, “Several community leaders in Jackson have already registered their concerns about the possible move.”

The political trio also touched on what Intermountain Region spokespersons are calling an economic-based decision and a concern for high housing costs in Jackson. “Alpine, Afton and Pinedale are all experiencing their own growing pains, including sharp increases in real estate prices. Relocation to any of these areas would bring unique challenges to the Forest Service,” the letter stated.

The caterwauling in Jackson has apparently been acknowledged by HQ in Ogden, Utah. BTNF information officer Mary Cernicek said she has received word from Troyer’s office that the Oct. 1 deadline for a decision has been suspended and an information-gathering phase is underway. Cernicek added that BTNF Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton has already initiated talks with the Jackson Hole Housing Trust regarding future employee housing options for forest employees.

A public hearing was also proposed in the Wyoming delegate’s letter to Troyer, who is set to retire on Oct. 3. His replacement will be Harv Forsgren
from the Arizona/New Mexico Region. Cernicek would not say whether she thought the deadline for decision and Troyer’s expected resignation date were coincidental in any way, but did admit it “looks kind of weird.”

Speculation on moving the BTNF supervisor’s offices were initially sparked by a conveyance granted by Congress in January of 2007. Without any knowledge of BTNF employees, the Forest Service sought and received permission to sell off five acres of the current 13 held by BTNF in north Jackson in order to pay for a new building. Now, input on where that new building lands is also out of the hands of BTNF officials. No one at the Bridger-Teton Forest office has been “kept in the loop” regarding decisions made by the Intermountain Region office. Cernicek admitted lines of communication with her immediate supervisors in Ogden have become somewhat strained.

“As you can imagine, with all the media interest, it’s not the easiest thing to pick up the phone and ask them something,” she said.

Cernicek expects the Forest Service to get involved now on a national level. Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell was cc’d in the correspondence from Enzi, Barrasso and Cubin. Cernicek said she believes a response from Kimbell will be forthcoming.


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BTNF move stalled by vocal opposition | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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