JACKSON, Wyo. — Lee Bauknight, a 17-year Jackson resident, is running as the only non-incumbent for the Teton Conservation District’s (TCD) Board of Supervisors. There are four candidates running for three open seats
Bauknight told Buckrail that he has been mindful of conservation for some time, especially when it comes to water quality, wildlife-human interactions, and wildfire preparedness. Bauknight has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for 15 years, and he has previously been involved with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance.
“I think we’re very fortunate to live in such a small community where our voice makes a difference,” Bauknight said. “And I’ve been looking at ways in the last few years to become more involved. … What the Teton Conservation District does really speaks to what I believe in around here. We, the little people, continuously see the environment, the wildlife, the ecosystem around us continuously pushed to the back burner.”
A couple of years ago, in Bauknight’s search for avenues to get involved in the community, he applied to be a volunteer rescuer with Teton County Search and Rescue. Out of 175 folks, he made it to the final 20 but didn’t make the cut to the 10 selected volunteers. Looking back, he said maybe it wasn’t the place for him: “Hindsight is 20/20. It would be tough to be on call 365, 24/7.”
No stranger to the outdoors, Bauknight partakes in hunting, fishing, rafting, and biking. Water quality issues in the valley have concerned him, especially those in Hoback and Fish Creek. Three years ago, his entire septic system needed to be replaced, which he said was a pain but necessary. He noted that creating programs to improve water quality should be a priority, and he has seen a strong focus on that idea lately by TCD and the County.
“We have a lot of resources in this county, and a lot of people that care about having good, clean water,” Bauknight said. “It’s a problem we need to fix yesterday, because it’s been a problem for a long, long time.”
Bauknight supports the continued funding of TCD through its current levy of 1 mill. TCD has not utilized the entire mill, but without it, there is fear the agency would not be able to function. “As far as funding the TCD, I think it’s imperative,” Bauknight said. “It would be a shame to see this county vote that down on this ballot measure.”
Bauknight joins a field that includes incumbents David Adams, Bob Lucas and Cate Watsabaugh.
