JACKSON, Wyo. — The Fourth of July means fireworks, but the aesthetic pyrotechnic displays can have substantial impacts on local wildlife species from noise disruption to ingestion of residual litter.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), fireworks can cause wildlife to flee and end up in developed areas and roadways, or abandon their nests and leave young vulnerable to predators. The litter from firecrackers can be a choking hazard for animals or toxic if ingested, USFWS says, and the potential of wildfires from fireworks threatens to destroy essential habitat.
“We know what to expect, but wildlife don’t.”
Courtney Celley, science communicator with the USFWS
“We know what to expect, but wildlife don’t,” writes Courtney Celley, science communicator with the USFWS, in a press release for keeping wildlife safe on the Fourth of July. “With freedom comes responsibility.”
A 2022 study published by Pacific Conservation Biology and recommended to Buckrail by Aly Courtemanch, wildlife biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, also confirms fireworks negatively affect wildlife and the environment. The study recommends eco-friendly fireworks and reusable drone and laser-based lightshows as alternatives.
According to Kristen Waters, public information specialist with Teton County, Teton County currently has no known plans to make a change to any eco-friendly alternatives, but Fire Marshall Raymond Lane confirms there is a standardized permit process for local firework shows to mitigate for wildfire risk to habitat.
The process adheres to the NFPA 1123, a code containing information on how to set up and operate professional outdoor fireworks displays. Fireworks companies that are licensed to handle explosives must apply for a permit through the County and the Fire Department.
“The wildfire risk is part of our assessment when we do those inspections,” Lane told Buckrail. “I will pull up the fuel moisture, flammability rate of the fuels, it’s super variable year to year. We look at all that stuff on a case-by-case basis and that’s how we make the decision with our Forest Service partners.”
The Bridger-Teton National Forest reminds locals and visitors that fireworks are illegal on public lands in order to protect the natural resources.
