THE MOUNTAIN NEIGHBOR HANDBOOK
Jackson, Wyo. – The 40+ contributors to The Mountain Neighbor Handbook: A Local’s Guide to Stewardship in the Tetons compiled this new resource as an introduction and an invitation to environmental stewardship. Chapters focused on everything from wildlife and habitat to energy and waste help readers navigate the realities of living in this wild place.
Led by Teton Conservation District, Teton County, Town of Jackson, and the Jackson Hole Land Trust, the free handbook can be found online at mountainneighbor.org. Hardcopies are being distributed by project partners and mailed to welcome new residents to Teton County.
“As property values increase and tourism booms, we need to remind ourselves that the intact ecosystem exists because of generations of strategic conservation,” says Carlin Girard, executive director of Teton Conservation District. “Looking forward, stewardship of our private lands is an unfulfilled opportunity within our conservation legacy. This handbook offers tools to support the region’s ecosystem in our homes and backyards.”
Teton County is surrounded by some of the most remote and intact wilderness in the lower 48 states, but our human footprint is growing. The spread of invasive species, structures lost to wildfire, and degraded water quality are only some of the symptoms of our impact. Many share concerns that development is outpacing conservation. The contributors to the handbook hope this resource helps everyone in Teton County understand and contribute to preserving our rare and magnificent ecosystem.
Heather Overholser, Director of Teton County Public Works says, “We really appreciate Teton Conservation District spearheading this project and involving the dozens of community partners in this collaborative project. Just like stewardship is a collective responsibility – this project belongs to the community. We also appreciate this opportunity to leverage the county’s current natural resource priorities and initiatives, such as bearproof trash cans, water quality, wildlife friendly fencing, and more.”
"Most people who live here want to be good stewards of the land. I frequently field questions from new and seasoned residents alike, and I'm excited to use The Mountain Neighbor Handbook as a resource,” says Tanya Anderson, the ecosystem stewardship administrator for the Town of Jackson.
The Mountain Neighbor project doesn’t stop here. Overtime, the website will be built out to offer more information and engage ambassadors and sponsors of the project to help carry our community’s shared vision for natural resource stewardship forward. “The JHLT is thrilled to be a partner in this resource to provide practical strategies empowering our community to be a brilliant example of how people can co-exist with wildlife in the mountain west,” says Jackson Hole Land Trust Director of Stewardship Derek Ellis.
If you would like a hardcopy of the handbook or would like to distribute it through your business or organization, please reach out to info@tetonconservation.org.
