JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Tomorrow night will be dedicated to all things grizzly. Leading into a scheduled Game and Fish chat about the upcoming grizzly hunt season proposed for this fall will be a one-hour community reception hosted by Wyoming Wildlife Advocates called “We Protect Grizzlies.”
Wyoming Wildlife Advocates will begin its lead-in to the Game and Fish discussion at 5pm at the National Museum of Wildlife Art on Tuesday, April 17. WWA is describing the event as a community reception to educate and empower the residents of Teton County to articulate why the trophy hunting of grizzlies is incompatible with the local culture and economy.
Immediately following “We Protect Grizzlies” at 6pm Wyoming Game and Fish will hold a public meeting to hear feedback on their proposed grizzly hunting regulations.
“Our goal is to welcome all community members—especially families and young people—to learn about the serious potential impacts that trophy hunting grizzly bears could have on our community,” says Melissa Thomasma, WWA executive director. “This is a wonderful opportunity to ask questions and get a better understanding of how problematic this hunt would be for Jackson Hole. It’s also the perfect venue to share feedback and concerns directly with Wyoming Game and Fish.”
WWA’s largest stated concern is the serious negative impact that the hunt could have on the area’s economy. “Grizzly hunting is not going to enhance Jackson Hole in the eyes of past and future visitors,” explains board president Kent Nelson. “Our visitors expect us to protect our wildlife.”
In 2016, travel-generated spending in Teton County totaled about a billion dollars, and supported 8,250 jobs in the community. If trophy hunting of grizzlies were to diminish tourism by a mere 1%, that drop would translate into a loss of $10 million and 75 jobs.
Comparatively, even if all hunting tags for the Jackson Hole area are issued to nonresident hunters, the revenue will be less than $50,000.
“The proposed regulations for hunting include a ‘buffer zone’ around national park borders that are known territories of well-known bears,” observes Roger Hayden, conservation director. “While this is a partial step in the right direction, it’s simply insufficient. The fact that this ‘buffer zone’ is even on the table means that Game and Fish knows we are right; Teton County’s relationship to its wildlife—especially grizzlies—is different than the rest of the state. There’s no question that the county should be exempt from this hunt.”
