Jackson council to weigh phased Bear Conflict Zone expansion Aug. 2026/2027

Jackson Town Council is set to discuss potential changes to the town’s Bear Conflict Zone at its April 20 workshop, including a staff proposal to expand the zone in two phases through 2027 and fold annual bear-conflict reporting into the town’s Ecosystem Health Indicator Report. The Bear Conflict Zone is where residents and businesses are required to use bear-resistant trash containers. (Town Council Workshop Agenda Packet)

Staff says compliance within the current Bear Conflict Zone has risen from 70% in 2024 to 77% in 2026, but varies widely by street (50% to 94%). The report cites 2025 Wyoming Game and Fish Department data showing 20 human-bear conflicts in the Jackson Region (eight involving garbage) and notes county enforcement recorded 121 bear-can ordinance violations in 2025, with most resolved. (Town Council Workshop Agenda Packet)

Under the proposal, Phase 1 would be a “minor expansion” aimed at areas where adjacent neighbors currently face different rules, with an implementation target of Aug. 1, 2026. Phase 2 would be a “moderate expansion” toward the center of town that also adds neighborhoods with bear conflict and wildlife movement corridors, plus some town/county properties, with a target date of Aug. 1, 2027. Staff outlines (but is not asking council to approve now) possible future phases that could eventually require bear-resistant household cans townwide and, later, bear-resistant dumpsters townwide. (Town Council Workshop Agenda Packet)

Staff estimates each boundary update would require an education campaign (press releases, social media, water-bill flyers, door hangers) costing about $5,000 annually, and argues multi-year planning would give residents and waste haulers more predictability than revisiting the boundary year-by-year. (Town Council Workshop Agenda Packet)