I was chatting with a bartender the other day. He asked me, “How long have you been in Jackson Hole?” I said “45 years.” He said, “That’s a long time. You must have seen a lot of changes.” I replied, “Yes, lots of changes, and all this new development doesn’t make Jackson Hole any better, but Jackson Hole is still the best place on earth.” He responded quickly, “I’m here for the money.”
I must admit I was taken aback. I don’t recall hearing anyone express that sentiment so bluntly and succinctly. He seemed to be insulating himself from the seemingly inexorable destruction of Jackson Hole by keeping a laser focus on what was in it for him. Obviously, we all need money to live, but if Jackson Hole is just a vein of gold to be mined until it’s exhausted, what will be left of this magnificent place when the magic is tapped out and the miners move on?
In the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, there was a surge of new residents. Some came to exploit Jackson Hole, but many, upon experiencing the wonder and sacredness of our beautiful valley, made stewardship a priority so future generations could experience the same sense of awe. Is anyone still motivated by that conservation ethic?
“I’m here for the money” leads to relentlessly promoting our valley, bringing in more tourists and wealthy people to Jackson Hole than our wild places can possibly accommodate while drawing more businesses and workers to the valley than we can possibly house – permanently altering the small town with open land surrounded by wilderness character that makes Jackson Hole an international treasure. New residents – rich, middle class, and working class – all aggressively scrambling for their selfish interests without regard to the consequences – all pushing to expand the human footprint on a valley that should be preserved for open spaces, wilderness, and wild creatures.
Rather than pursue unsustainable growth, we need to treat this valley with the proper reverence that a world-class environmental jewel deserves. We need to apply the wilderness principles of “Leave no trace” and “Pack it in, pack it out” to local planning. If those of us who deeply understand the magic of this valley don’t fight to protect it from overdevelopment and over-commercialization, it will be left solely to the “I’m here for the money” crowd to decide Jackson Hole’s future.