The Commissioners' room is located in the east end of the courthouse basement.

Background:

During a 2009 comment period on plans to develop the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, the Forest Service collected comments, 92% of which opposed the proposed Green Rock snowmobile parking lot.

BCA and other concerned citizens later met with the Forest Service requesting them to honor the comments received by reconsidering the construction of the proposed 10-acre Green Rock picnic area parking lot. 

Recently, Medicine Bow National Forest officials announced they would, in fact, reconsider the construction of a Snowmobile Parking Lot near the Green Rock picnic area located on the Snowy Range Scenic Byway.

NOW is the time to let your Albany County commissioners know your concerns.

A Few Key Points

• 92% of public comments received by the Forest Service opposed the parking lot.
• Wyoming Game & Fish warned the Forest Service about negative impacts the parking lot and increased snowmobile use could pose to wildlife such as moose, mule deer, elk, blue grouse, Northern Goshawk, American dipper, Boreal owl, Pine Marten, and the once-plentiful White-tailed ptarmigan.
• The wildlife Wyoming Game and Fish mentioned are, to varying degrees,  sensitive to the noise, commotion, exhausts, and lingering impacts of snowmobile activities.
• Snowmobile exhausts leave a thin, invisible film of oil across the naturally pristine landscapes along the Scenic Byway. This oil can pollute alpine, air, landscapes and lakes, and poison trout populations.
• Large-scale snow compaction can, for example, cause coyotes to move in on valuable lynx hunting grounds, fragment important subnivean (undersnow) habitat, destroy ptarmigan habitat, and crush fragile alpine vegetation.
• The Green Rock snowmobile parking lot would also encroach on the Snowy Range Inventoried Roadless Area.
• Conflicts with skiiers, snowshoers, and other non-motorized (human-powered) recreational activities include safety concerns, noise issues, exhaust fumes that permeate what should be pristine air, disturbance to wildlife and viewshed both of which draw wildlife watchers and photographers, and others that simply wish to enjoy the undisturbed beauty and serenity expected along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway.
• Relocating the snowmobile parking lot south to Highway 230 or near Albany makes more sense for the tourism industry in that both non-motorized and motorized recreationist would enjoy higher quality experiences.
  
  Please join us and let your County Commissioners hear your concerns. The Forest Service has been invited to update attendees on their plans and to provide maps should alternative locations for the snowmobile parking lot be considered.

Please contact me, Duane Short, if you have questions or comments.

Medicine Bow Sugarloaf photo by Duane Short