Introduction

From Sustaining Jackson Hole Wiki

In 1987, the United Nations published Our Common Future, aka the Brundtland Report. This report defined sustainable development as “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Since the late 1980s, Jackson Hole has been undergoing rapid and profound growth and change. As a result, thoughtful citizens have raised questions about the nature of Jackson Hole and, in particular, what type of community the current generation will leave for future residents and visitors.

Such “whither Jackson Hole?” conversations are not a regular, much less on-going, part of Jackson Hole’s civic discourse. Instead, when such conversations do occur, they are often stimulated by, if not focused on, a particular land use planning issue. The more thoughtful and deliberative aspects of these conversations almost invariably are drowned out in the passionate hubbub of debate around the given issue. Finally, because such planning conversations tend to be focused on just one specific issue, the discussion rarely covers more than just a handful of aspects of the entire community. For Jackson Hole to do more than muddle toward the future, this ad hoc approach to thinking – or arguing – about the community has to change.

At its core, Sustaining Jackson Hole is an effort to effect such change. It tries to do so in three ways. First, Sustaining Jackson Hole is an effort to create a forum where discussions about all aspects of Jackson Hole’s past, present, and future—about all aspects of the kind of community we will leave for future generations—can be the primary focus of attention.

Second, Sustaining Jackson Hole tries to create a forum where such discussions can be held in a safe, non-threatening, respectful, and supportive way. Sustaining Jackson Hole’s sponsors believe that the key to Jackson Hole’s future lies in tapping the talents of Jackson Hole’s residents, and linking it with their passion for their community. Creating such an environment is a primary focus of Sustaining Jackson Hole.

Third, Sustaining Jackson Hole is an effort to honor the breadth of interests and activities in the community. Jackson Hole supports a remarkable diversity of interests, activities, and organizations, most of which never capture the public’s eye. Yet to ignore this diversity is to ignore an essential part of Jackson Hole’s character. To avoid that mistake, Sustaining Jackson Hole has attempted to paint the most complete portrait possible of Jackson Hole. When combined, the Sustaining Jackson Hole organizers hope to provide all those who care about Jackson Hole with a means for sharing their passions and abilities, and a tool for channeling them toward leaving a legacy as rich as the one left by those who’ve made Jackson Hole the community it is today.

The next chapter, Background, elaborates the thinking behind Sustaining Jackson Hole, and the Methodology chapter describes how this report came about. The core of the study is the chapters focusing on the 12 Areas of Interest into which life in Jackson Hole can be divided:

• Agriculture & Heritage
• Arts
• Business & Economy
• Civic Affairs
• Education
• Environment
• Human Services
• Land Use & Housing
• Philanthropy
• Recreation
• Resource Use
• Transportation

The report concludes with a discussion of the findings, as well as recommendations for next steps.