This turned out to be a good example of why one must read any news story with a critical eye.

The following message has been sent to all Bridger Teton Service
Project Contingent Leaders:

“Some of you may have become aware of a story that all or part of the
Bridger Teton (BT) Service Project has been cancelled. I want to
assure you that the Bridger Teton project is going forward.

Here is the situation. A group called the Rainbow Family decided at
the end of May 2008 to hold its annual gathering in Wyoming -
someplace in the Bridger Teton National Forest from July 1-7, 2008.
During the first week of June, they announced that they would locate
this year’s gathering at the Dutch Joe/Big Sandy area (DJ). The
annual gathering of the Rainbow Family can number more than 10,000.
As of last week, there were approximately 1,500 people already at the
DJ location. The Forest Service communicated that there was a
conflict in use of the area but the Family members were already moving
into the area developing their kitchens, latrines, and infrastructure,
etc. Discussions designed to get the Rainbow Family to move to one of
the locations originally offered by the USFS were not successful.
While many members of the Rainbow supported the move to avoid a
conflict in use of the area, the group could not gain agreement among
themselves to make the move.

The DJ is the same area where we were planning to conduct fence
removal, habitat improvement and trail building – it was one of our
two remote project locations. Our plan was to locate approximately
150 staff and participants at the Dutch Joe location. While most of
the Rainbow group will be gone by the time we arrive in late July, the
impact on the land and environment will not have had a chance to
recover by the time we arrive. After discussions with the Forest
Service, I made the decision to seek an alternate project site rather
than bringing our participants and staff into the Dutch Joe area
following the Gathering. At this time, we will not be conducting the
project at the DJ location this summer.

In conjunction with the USFS, we have secured another beautiful area
in which to provide service and the 150 participants and staff with a
great experience and program. We will be removing fence and
addressing a number of trail improvement projects near the Gros Ventre
Wilderness area.

Rest assured our BT staff and our USFS partners are going to make the
alternate project just as successful and meaningful as the DJ site.
While the DJ site was beautiful, the Gros Ventre is a great site too.
The location isn’t as important as the service, leadership, program
and fellowship opportunities ArrowCorps5 is all about. I look
forward to seeing you and your contingent in a few weeks as we gather
in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 1,100 of us participating in the BT
project will soon make history by completing our commitment to service
in 2008.”

Dan Segersin
Bridger Teton Incident Commander