Guest Blog Post: 399 and Effective Leadership, by Nikki Kaufman

Did you know that people pose the deadliest threat to Grizzly Bears? According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 90% of all adult grizzly bear deaths are caused by humans.

I learned this statistic in “A Grizzly Success: Grand Teton Matriarch 399 Inspires New Coexistence Partnership,” a recent piece by Louisa Willcox, longtime bear advocate and former resident of Jackson. But this riveting and complex story is so much more than just the history of the beloved Grizzly 399 and bear-proof trash cans:

“This story is also about how Jackson Hole serves as an example of broader social trend towards more intimate connections with bears and wild animals, and what can happen when those who care about individual wild animals get engaged. This is a story about finding common ground through partnerships with government to craft solutions to environmental problems at a time when the broader political system is breaking down and debates have become more polarized and divisive.” - A Grizzly Success, p. 32

In this success story detailed in 32 pages, we observe leaders from communities around the Rocky Mountain West creatively collaborating to address the Teton County human-bear conflict problem head-on; resulting in a win-win for our wildlife and for public safety.

As a huge proponent of local government (a bureaucratic nerd, some might say), one of my favorite parts of the story was getting to read the high praise of Teton County Commissioner, and friend, Luther Propst, in the process.

“During my interviews with the major players, I was struck by their humility, altruism, and mutual respect: In reflecting on this work, Walt mentioned Sue as “the biggest hero of anyone.” Sue in turn praised WWA for being so nimble, describing how Kristin “really stepped on the gas,” and also offered this: “Luther is the hero, as far as I'm concerned. If it weren't for the fact that he called together a group of us to talk about how we might improve the situation, the network of folks who went to work on it probably wouldn't have been activated.”- A Grizzly Success, p.25

I highly recommend you read the full piece here. In these factious times, it is a breath of fresh air to see strong leadership from a variety of entities — as well as community members from all walks of life (like Ian MacGregor and Orion Bellorado of Farmstead Cider) come together to improve Teton County’s regulations for bear-resistant garbage cans and other measures to maintain distance between bears and unhealthy food sources – and between bears and people.

And this case is not a one-off: Luther brings this type of leadership to all challenges. Teton County needs that leadership; we need Luther in office.

Nikki Kaufman
Community Advocate

P.S. …and, most importantly, this article is filled with plenty of cute pictures of bears ;)