What's Been Approved
The expansion allows Grand Targhee to develop new skiable terrain across the two approved zones and to construct a restaurant at the summit of Fred's Mountain. The restaurant approval comes with strict conditions - the Forest Service requires materials that blend into the mountain landscape to protect sightlines from neighbouring Grand Teton National Park, and has restricted the facility to daytime operations only to preserve dark sky conditions in the region.
To clear the legal path for the development, the Forest Service must implement six amendments to the existing Caribou-Targhee forest plan. Five relate directly to wildlife protections - specifically allowing targeted tree removal within northern goshawk habitats and near historic nesting areas for boreal and flammulated owls. A sixth amendment rezones the expansion tracts from visual and aquatic preservation areas into developed recreation sites.
Federal Mandate and Local Politics
Forest spokesperson Jared Fisher noted that the executive order "Make America Beautiful Again" - which directs public land managers to support economic growth through outdoor recreation - played a role in shaping the agency's evaluation. Forest Supervisor Kim Pierson described the final decision as a balance between those national directives and local environmental assessments covering soil, botany, and migratory birds.
The approval has reopened a long-running dispute between two neighbouring counties. Grand Targhee sits entirely within Teton County, Wyoming - which collects all lodging and sales tax revenue generated by the resort - but the only road access runs through Teton County, Idaho. Idaho communities absorb the infrastructure costs and emergency service burden of resort traffic without receiving any direct tax revenue in return.
Teton County, Idaho Commissioner Ron James told the Jackson Hole News&Guide he would be more supportive of the expansion if a revenue-sharing arrangement between the two counties could be formalised. Teton County, Wyoming Commissioner Luther Propst took a different line, criticising the boundary reductions as decisions driven by Washington rather than local input.
Timeline and Next Steps
Grand Targhee owner Geordie Gillett told reporters he intends to let the regulatory process run its course before setting construction timelines or deciding which terrain to develop first. Gillett also confirmed he has no plans to sell the resort.
Following official publication in the Federal Register, the Forest Service will open a 45-day objection period covering the expansion and five project-specific amendments, alongside a separate 60-day objection period for the broader zoning changes. Construction timelines will depend on how that objection process plays out.
