The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines Wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” The Act’s purpose is to preserve and protect natural ecosystems and wild areas, and to provide opportunities for solitude and retrospective or primitive recreation.
“But perhaps one of the greatest benefits is what wilderness areas can do for a person. For those who travel into wilderness areas the experience can be awe inspiring and life changing. Those treks are what made great novels and critically acclaimed essays. Many who venture onto wilderness areas come back out changed with a deeper understanding of why these lands are set aside. Each person has their own story.”
Grand Targhee’s proposed expansion into South Bowl would bring impacts far beyond the immediate footprint of the resort. The expansion would degrade the views from the Jedediah Smith Wilderness and Grand Teton National Park, replacing a natural viewshed with commercial development. Long after climate change has rendered South Bowl unskiable, there will be scars from roads, chairlifts, logging, and the grading done to achieve a smooth groomed run. The sound of silence that soothes visitors to Teton Canyon today will be replaced with avalanche bombs, chairlifts, snow cats, snowmobiles, chain saws, heavy machinery, helicopters, and thousands of people. The night sky will be illuminated by grooming, night skiing, and resort infrastructure.
Grand Targhee estimates that the proposed expansion will double the resort’s daily carrying capacity to over 6,000 guests. Because there are no natural barriers in South Bowl between the proposed expansion boundary and the Wilderness, unlike the cliff along the backside of the existing resort boundary, the expansion may greatly increase the number of backcountry skiers in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. This increase in recreation use will put new pressure on the Wilderness and reduce or eliminate opportunities for solitude, changing the character of this special place.