JACKSON, Wyo. — On Monday, Dec. 1, Ecosystem Stewardship Administrator Tanya Anderson stood in front of the Town Council to request approval of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for ecological monitoring at Karns Meadow Park. A motion was passed unanimously to approve the release of the RFP with minor edits by staff.
In December 2024, Town Council unanimously voted to approve a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for outdoor recreational use of the 42 acre Karns Meadow Park, which included a parking lot, a public restroom, a picnic shelter and an 8-foot-wide unpaved natural trail. A condition of the CUP required a presentation of current ecological studies on Karns Meadow Park and any noted gaps in understanding prior to development of the space.
The overview meeting, held on March 17, resulted in a scope of work and recommended budget to hire an ecologist to summarize the available data on Karns Meadow into a report that can be updated annually.
After a brief introduction, Anderson shared that the estimated budget for the first year of the study would hover around $60,000, and would be $40,000 to $50,000 in subsequent years. Some cited mechanisms for funding included contributions from Teton Conservation District and other foundations such as the Jackson Hole Land Trust. Ideas were also floated to involve citizen science programs and local nonprofits to save money on the investment.
Anderson also recommended some other studies to monitor impact including seasonal visitation counts, changes in the audio-scape, vegetative cover and prevalence of invasive species, nesting songbird success and impacts on winter wildlife.
Council members were curious about how many years of data were recommended.
“You could continue ecological monitoring in perpetuity,” Anderson told Council. “There are benefits to long term studies such as the bird banding and looking at those changes over time. But if you’re really just looking at the impact of the park, I would say in three to five years you could get a good picture. I would focus on the area that people who have expressed the most concern about: the pathway and the northern section.”
