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Topic: Culture & Communities     Department: Letters

Common ground in a fractured land

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I arrived in Teton County, Idaho, as a regional bank president the week after the development moratorium was put in place back in 2007 (HCN, 3/5/12, "The Zombies of Teton County"). I rode the "real estate wave" in from Telluride, Colo., where I had also been a bank president. For me, conspicuous development and wealth was not new.

There is no one party upon which fault can be placed. I saw billionaires making laudable donations and concessions for conservation purposes, as well as governments working studiously to manage growth from both economic and environmental standpoints. I also saw poor regulation and enforcement. Still, there was always one thing everyone shared: Both the locals and the transplants genuinely seemed to love the Teton Valley. I suspect that has not changed.  

Erick Miller
Canon City, Colorado

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