Bison Management in the Jackson Hole Valley, Wyoming, USA

Resource System
Watershed and associated topography
Resource Units
Grass and forage
Location
Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The Bison management case in the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) is a new case that will be integrated into the Common Pool-Resource (CPR) database. The Jackson Hole Valley (JHV) is a prime example of an iconic place. The natural environment surrounding the town of Jackson, Wyoming, is the resource system upon which wildlife and human settlements rely. This natural environment provides numerous streams of goods and services to all wildlife and many interested subgroups. For many of these subgroups, the natural  beauty of the JHV brings substantial tourism to enjoy the natural ecosystem. Today the natural ecosystem within the JHV is subject to multiple anthropogenic and natural pressures. There has been a substantial increase in the human settlement throughout the JHV. Therefore, there is greater competition for habitat between humans and wildlife.

System Representation of Fall 2013
Resource System

In the valley of Jackson Hole the resource is the natural environment surrounding the town. The natural environment provides streams of goods and services to wildlife and resource users. Jackson Hole contains many ecosystems that are limited in primary production.

Resource Users

The resource users within JH include: sportsmen, recreationalists, artists, and tribal nations. Each resource user receives a different good or service from the resource system.

Public Infrastructure Providers

The public infrastructure providers manage and enforce rules within their jurisdictional boundaries within the Jackson Hole Valley. The agencies include: the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), the National Elk Refuge (NER), the Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).

Public Infrastructure

The public infrastructure are the rules and regulations that govern the resource. The public infrastructure is complex, in that there are numerous jurisdictional boundaries and regulations pertinent to those boundaries.

Relationship 1

Resource users receive goods and services from the natural environment. Sportsmen who hunt bison receive goods in the form of game. Many of the resource users receive services in the form of wildlife viewing opportunities and outdoor experiences.

Relationship 2

The relationship between resource users and public infrastructure providers is based on the monitoring of the providers’ performance. This is oftentimes assessed by the perceptions of resource users regarding the outcomes on the natural environment and wildlife populations.

Relationship 3

The public infrastructure providers build and maintain ‘hard’ infrastructure (e.g. roads, fences, irrigation, and closures). They also determine ‘soft’ infrastructure (e.g. rules and regulations) that affect the use of the resource system and the take of bison.

Relationship 4

This interaction includes the impacts of the built infrastructure and regulations on the resource. Supplemental feeding of elk has had the unintended consequence of growth in the resident bison population.

Relationship 5

Concerns the impact of the public infrastructure on the resource-harvest dynamics. The jurisdictional complexity of the public infrastructure has limited the effectiveness of hunting as a population management tool.

Relationship 6

This interaction relates to the monitoring and sanctioning of established regulations and the coproduction of infrastructure. Bison may be hunted within the jurisdictional boundaries of the National Elk Refuge and the Bridger Teton National Forest.

Exogenous Drivers 7 (Resource System)

Disease: High concentrations of ungulate species increase the probability of infectious disease transmission. The high incidence of Brucellosis is a vulnerability found in interaction #1. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found in other areas of the state and is a potential disturbance that would impact the resource system, if it were to reach Jackson Hole.

Climate: The resource system is susceptible to changing climatic patterns. For example, a prolonged drought would strain the entire natural environment and limit the carrying capacity of the resource system. Additionally, severe winter conditions may necessitate extended supplemental feeding programs. At present, the National Elk Refuge tries to keep the supplemental feeding season as short as possible to minimize the negative the potential for disease transmission.

Predation: There is limited natural predation on ungulate species. Predators are vital to maintaining healthy prey populations. Increased predation has the potential to limit unwanted ungulate herbivory and reduce the potential for disease transmission.

Exogenous Drivers 7 (Public Infrastructure)

Natural Disasters: There is uncertainty around future natural disasters. Severe weather events can damage costly built infrastructure and impact the resource system. These natural disturbances may alter the distribution of wildlife habitat and may impact habitats that are vital for species of greatest conservation need. Natural disasters could stress the ability of public infrastructure providers to manage the built infrastructure and regulations while dealing with other more pressing issues.

Legal Action: Legal action is a potential disturbance that could inhibit the effectiveness of the public infrastructure providers’ management tools. From 1998 to 2007, the lethal removal of bison was not allowed due to legal obligations. During this period, the resident bison population increased substantially.

Exogenous Drivers 8 (Resource Users)

Dramatic Decrease in Tourism: Over time, the resource users, the local community, and the composition of tourists visiting Jackson Hole has changed. Much of the economy in Jackson Hole has commercial ties to the tourism industry. Disturbances in regional, national, and global economies will have an impact on the number of tourists visiting. Therefore, a potential shock to the social-ecological system of Jackson Hole is that of economic recession. This shock could reduce the number of tourists and their contributions to various commercial entities.

Dramatic Increase in Tourism: Increased tourism, whether persistent or periodic, may strain the social-ecological system of the Jackson Hole Valley. Increased tourism would require more human made infrastructure. It may also result in more resource users utilizing the common-pool resources beyond their capacity to regenerate. This would essentially result in the overuse and degradation of the resource system.

Exogenous Drivers 8 (Public Infrastructure Providers)

Federal Funding: A potential disturbance in relation to the public infrastructure is the interruption of federal funds. The federal deficit and looming financial reform have left a variety of federal agencies uncertain about the availability of future funds. A prime example of this is the recent government furlough, which closed the Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge.

Human Infrastructure, Private and Human-Made (Resource Users)
(none specified)
Human Infrastructure, Private and Human-Made (Public Infrastructure Providers)
(none specified)