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Commissioners discuss competing proposals to rename Mount Woodring; take public comment next week
Summary
The board reviewed three proposals to rename Mount Woodring — Raven Peak, Liberty Peak and Equality Peak — and agreed to circulate materials and hold the matter as a known topic with public comment at next week’s meeting.
The Teton County Board discussed three competing applications to rename Mount Woodring in Grand Teton National Park during its July 15 meeting and agreed to take up the matter again next week with public comment.
Chair (presiding commissioner) said the U.S. National Park superintendent, Chip Jenkins, alerted the board to three separate applications to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to rename the peak Raven Peak, Liberty Peak or Equality Peak. The board noted the county’s earlier correspondence had supported renaming the peak but had not strongly endorsed a single alternative name.
Commissioners discussed cultural context and local historian input indicating the county’s recommendation carries weight with the federal naming board. Commissioner Gardner said Raven was proposed in part because of the bird’s significance in many Native American cultures. Another commissioner expressed discomfort with names invoking political concepts and said they had seen no argument for changing Raven to Equality or Liberty without more information.
Commissioner Gardner asked staff to circulate the superintendent’s email and the three applications to the board members; the board agreed to place the item on next Monday’s agenda as a known matter and to accept public comment then. Chair said staff would confirm the U.S. Board on Geographic Names schedule and report back to the board.
No formal vote or recommendation was made at the July 15 meeting.
