JACKSON, Wyo. — The next phase of the Teton-to-Snake Fuels Reduction Project on the Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest is set to begin July 15 on Phillips Ridge.
Throughout the next month, contractors will be cutting trees and stacking woody debris to minimize fire hazards in proximity to the powerline road, the Snotel and Phillips Ridge trails.
In order to provide for public safety and allow contractors to complete the tree cutting as quickly as possible, dispersed camping will be suspended on Phillips ridge east of the Snotel trail and the Phillips road will be temporarily closed to vehicle traffic for approximately three weeks.
Camping between the trailhead and the Snotel road (road #30972A) is permitted but will be walk-in only with four-five sites available. People wishing to camp near Teton Pass are encouraged to explore the Fall Creek road corridor. Temporary closures will also be in effect for the Snotel and Phillips Ridge Trails and the paragliding launch site.
Respect temporary trail closures between the hours of 6:00 am and 4:00 pm and do not enter the work zone if these areas are posted closed for your safety.
The reduction in hazardous fuel loading within the Phillips Ridge area will aid in modifying potential fire behavior by reducing a fire’s opportunity to get in the forest canopy and reducing the chance of fire impacting communities and recreation use areas. Benefits from fuels reduction include removing dead and down vegetation, reducing small-diameter trees which serve as ladder fuels that carry fire from the ground to the tree canopy, and increasing tree crown spacing by opening the tree canopy to limit potential fire spread by crown fire.
The project area is within the wildland-urban interface as defined by the 2014 Teton County Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) as communities at risk of wildfire.
