A small population of bighorn sheep persits in the Teton range during the winter under impossible conditions–often above 10,000 feet. Local wildlife biologists, who have been painstakingly tracking the population for decades, say the herd is in danger and are proposing backcountry closures to try and give the sheep some space. This effort to conserve the herd is pitting some skiers against conservationists in emotional public discourse. As KHOL’s Will Walkey reports, the entire controversy examines the very core of what it means for humans to interact with public lands.

This episode was made in collaboration with Stio, stewards of the mountain life. It was reported and produced by Will Walkey, with editorial and production support from Kyle Mackie and Emily Cohen. Music scoring by Sheena and Jacob Fergusen. Creative direction and executive production support provided by Stio’s Liz Barrett and Jessie Van der Linden. Facets logo design by Kika MacFarlane.