ALTA, Wyo. — Grand Targhee Resort (GTR) and the U.S. Forest Service will host an open house in Driggs, Idaho, on Thursday, April 17, to discuss plans to expand boundaries of the ski resort and to add infrastructure.
GTR says the plans have been in the works for six years, including the construction of new guest service facilities, lift upgrades, expanded snowmaking, grading terrain and more. A Wednesday press release by GTR stated that “proposed boundary adjustments will add the Mono Trees area near the Colter Lift and parts of South Bowl to GTR’s managed terrain network,” contending that the changes will improve skier experience.
The Forest Service released a 625-page environmental impact statement (EIS) in March, available below and on the agency’s website.
Targhee’s webpage dedicated to the expansion states, “The proposed projects are not about more, more, more. They are about better, better, better.”
“Grand Targhee greatly values our partnership with the Forest Service,” GTR General
Manager Geordie Gillett said in Wednesday’s press release. “We’ve been in discussions with the Caribou-Targhee National Forest for several years about how to ensure GTR continues to provide a refuge for skiers and maintain our status as the premier powder skiing destination in the United States. The Draft EIS is an important milestone and we look forward to continue to collaborate with the Forest Service and the community on the next phase of the EIS process.”
Reaction to the proposed expansion appears to have been mixed thus far, with some detractors expressing concerns about an increase in visitors burdening strained Teton Valley resources.
Public comments will be accepted online through June 20, and can be made here. Read those public comments here.
The open house will be held at the Driggs Community Center, 60 S Main Street – Suite 200, on April 17 from 5 to 8 p.m.
