WYOMING STATE LANDS

POWJH advocated fiercely for the State of Wyoming to prioritize water quality and adhere to regulations on WY State Trust Land at the headwaters of Fish Creek. We halted construction of a commercial wastewater facility on Site 9 of the Teton Village state land parcel:

• In June 2022, the Office of State Lands and Investments (OSLI) issued a temporary use permit to Mountain Ventures/Basecamp Hospitality, LLC (Basecamp) to develop a geodesic dome hotel “glamping” complex on state trust lands in Teton County, WY.

• In October 2022, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) authorized the construction and operation of a commercial wastewater system.

• In November 2022, POWJH challenged the WDEQ and filed a petition with the 9th Judicial District Court of Teton County, WY for review of agency action.

• In January 2023, the court issued a motion for a stay of enforcement, with the WDEQ not opposing this action, halting all construction of Basecamp’s operations.

Fish Creek is a highly protected Class 1 surface waters already suffering water quality impairment from E. coli discharged from other septic systems in the watershed. Class 1 Waters are typically afforded the greatest regulatory protection by the Environmental Protection Agency and the WDEQ, but that did not happen with the construction of this commercial wastewater system in this watershed.

The temporary use permit expressly required Basecamp to “observe all state, federal, and local laws and regulations.” However, in the short time the project was in existence, Basecamp demonstrated a history of noncompliance and was not adhering to the water or land protections they promised in their permit application.

While the WDEQ has revoked this wastewater permit, they can still reissue a revised individual wastewater permit. WDEQ has said they will start a public process for that permit, with the option for the public to weigh in — and a public meeting.

POWJH will continue to ensure water quality is protected in this sensitive watershed.