JACKSON, Wyo. —In an afternoon workshop today, Jackson’s town council discussed several topics of high community interest. Chief among them was bear conflict mitigation.
Community Development Director Tyler Sinclair presented three options for the council to consider. The options included voluntary measures, regulatory measures and franchise requirements.
Voluntary requirements would include an educational effort that sets the stage for voluntary steps individuals may take to make their trash and properties less attractive to bears and other wildlife. It would also be a “lead by example” approach, in which the Town takes voluntary actions on its own properties.
The second option would be an ordinance amending the Land Development Regulations (LDR’s) or Municipal Code to require bear/wildlife proof trash containers and other considerations.
The third option would require trash franchisees to only provide bear/wildlife-proof trash containers.
Sinclair’s presentation noted that the County is also in the process of developing county-wide developments in their LDR’s for Wildlife Feeding & Bear Conflict Areas.
With this at hand, Councilmember Jessica Sell Chambers proposed that the council wait for the county’s results, and then the Town will make considerations to change its proposed regulations.
Councilmembers then unanimously passed a motion to proceed with implementation steps necessary to reduce bear and other wildlife conflicts in the Town of Jackson and to wait for the county’s results in the coming weeks.
