Teton County commissioner backs designation of Antelope Migration Corridor after task‑force meeting
Loading...
Summary
A county commissioner who attended a state task force meeting told the board he supports designating the Antelope Migration Corridor to add scrutiny to land‑use and federal permitting decisions after recounting a sharp population drop in a northern herd segment.
A commissioner reported to the board April 7 on a state task force considering designation of segments of an Antelope Migration Corridor and said he personally supports designation after attending a recent meeting.
Chair Newcomb (for the record) described the task force's consensus‑based approach and said designation would add weight to local planning and federal permitting decisions that could affect migration habitat. He noted dramatic local population changes in a northern herd: "Our herd, which was at 700... the next summer, they counted only 80," he said, citing severe winter conditions and disease as contributors to the decline.
Commissioners expressed support for continued county participation on the task force and for exploring mitigation measures such as wildlife crossings and further research funding. The report was informational; no formal county vote on designation occurred at the meeting.
