Planet Briefs 01/31/2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
By PJH Staff
Targhee hires sustainability director
Early this week, Grand Targhee Resort announced the hire of a Director
of Sustainable Operations, Christina J. Thomure, to direct the ski
resort’s sustainability initiatives and pursue its environmental goals.
Employees and management at Grand Targhee collaborated on a
Sustainability Charter that laid out the resort’s commitment to
continually educate about sustainability issues and pursue
fiscally attainable sustainable operations.
Grand Targhee’s Web site describes the resort’s dedication to the
environment. “We are working … to balance social, economic, and
environmental priorities to promote a more beautiful and healthy future
for our communities.” The resort focuses on renewable energy,
transportation, waste management and sustainable ecosystems, among
other things.
Thomure served as a resort planner at the Canyons Resort in Park City,
Utah, as an associate planner for the Town of Jackson, and as
development director at Nelson Engineering.
—
Melanie Stein
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JH Writers Conference speakers set for summer
Themes and participants of the 15th annual Jackson Hole Writers
Conference were announced last week. Special themes will be travel and
outdoor writing, young adult fiction and a teacher’s track, which will
allow educators to receive continuing education credits for attending
the conference.
Daniel Glick, author of “Monkey Dancing: A Father, Two Kids, and a
Journey to the Ends of the Earth” and “Powder Burn: Arson, Money and
Mystery on Vail Mountain” will speak about travel and outdoor writing.
Todd Strasser will discuss the growing young adult fiction genre. He is
the author of “Help! I’m Trapped In…” series and hundreds of other
books for youth and teens.
Lee Zacharias, who will speak to teachers and educations, is the author
of “Helping Muriel Make It Through the Night,” a collection of short
stories.
In addition, Tiffanie DeBartolo, Terry Tempest Williams and William
Haywood Henderson will discuss fiction and non-fiction writing. Writers
will also have the opportunity to discuss their manuscripts with
representatives from various publications and publishers.
The conference will take place from June 28-July 1, 2007 in Jackson Hole.
— Melanie Stein
Tale of Two Mustangs
While camping on a hunting trip on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in
October, a bear strolled through camp, spooking Monte Haas’ 13 wild
mustangs and scattering them into the night.
Haas was able to recover all but two of the mustangs in short order –
but those remaining, evaded capture until late last week, roaming
inside Grand Teton National Park.
The mustangs are non-native to this area, said Jackie Skaggs from the Public Affairs office at the park.
“Horses and cattle sometimes get loose, but it is the ranchers’
responsibility to capture [the animals] and get them out of the park,”
she said.
Haas has been attempting to do so for some time. “I have been up three
times since mid December to try and catch them. Park rangers tried to
catch them – but it’s almost impossible to catch a mustang – and they
scared them,” Haas said.
As of Wednesday, the mustangs were on the south side of Blacktail
Butte, even with the Gros Ventre campground entrance, and inside park
boundaries.
Haas’ mustangs are federal horses, owned by the Bureau of Land
Management. Park officials “thought we turned them loose because we
didn’t want them.” BLM protects and manages wild horse and burro
populations in the western United States but also offers some for
adoption and sale to individuals, as a means of maintaining herd size.
Haas adopted his mustangs last August, and although they are under his
care, he will not legally own them for a year.
The Park Service allowed Haas and a small group of riders to try and coax the horses down from Blacktail Butte last week.
On the first day, Haas and another rider were successful in leading the
horses down the Butte toward the road by laying small amounts of hay.
The horses have been surviving by grazing and “seem to be healthy and
finding food,” said Skaggs. But, they have not been eating large
quantities and Haas assumed they were hungry and that laying food would
help reacquaint the mustangs with humans.
“We love those horses,” Haas said. “We want them back.”
Nearing the end of the day Thursday, Haas was successful, with the help
of local non-profit Horse Warriors and some kind passersby, in coaxing
the horses into a makeshift pen at the bottom of the Butte.
They stayed in the pen overnight, along the side of the road to Kelly, to be loaded into trailers the next morning.
“There was no hoopla at all. The horses were able to look inside the
trailer, which was full of hay and oats, and they took their time
quietly stepping into the trailer. It was slow and easy, and they both
loaded great,” Priscilla Marden of Horse Warriors said.
“We were so happy we cried,” said Sandy Maxon, Haas’ mother.
— Melanie SteinPERMALINK:
Planet Briefs 01/31/2007 | Planet JH News Article: General News
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