Our Town, Our Future
What’s Next for the Ranch
Originally established in the 1970s and incorporated in 2005, today Star Valley Ranch is uniquely defined by its blend of organized rural residential living, recreational amenities, and seamless access to the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
We have no “Main Street”, no store-fronts, and no sidewalks. What we do have are 31 miles of mostly unpaved roads and a culinary water system fed by a fresh water mountain spring.
For the most part, we all like it just as it is, however, growth and change are inevitable. What the future of our Town looks like is something that will take vision, leadership, and the ability to keep what we love intact, while gradually meeting the needs of our growing residential population.
A Unique Town
“The Town of Star Valley Ranch, a BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY in a RURAL SETTING adjacent to the Bridger-Teton National Forest, is a family-oriented community offering a wide variety of INDOOR AND RESPONSIBLE OUTDOOR RECREATION with a SOLID INFRASTRUCTURE and characterized by PLANNED RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT”
~Town of Star Valley Ranch Vision Statement
Road Improvements
While I rather like my unpaved road—I live in a part of our Town where traffic is not as heavy as it is in other areas—traffic in and around the other parts of our Town (especially around the golf course areas) creates conditions that demand converting gravel roads back to chip-seal or asphalt (where required).
The thoroughfare loop of Vista West around to Vista East is a top priority for paving. Residents in this part of Town currently live with a constant onslaught of dust especially during the summer months.
With the cost of asphalt paving currently coming in at $1 million dollars per mile, the Town must garner additional monetary resources in order to pave these roads sooner rather than later. Continuing to seek out additional funding by way of grant applications along with thoughtful planning and prioritization of available annual budget resources is the way ahead to improving the driving surfaces of our Town roads.
I am committed to making these improvements as your mayor.
Trails and Pathways
Emergency Preparedness
Many of us chose to live here due to our love of the outdoors. Whether it is swinging a club on one of the two golf courses in Town, or adventuring on a local hiking trail—getting out there is where it’s at. Preserving and maintaining the beautiful trails we already have is job one. Expanding trail and pathway opportunities is the future task at hand.
Currently, the Lincoln County Transportation Alternatives Plan (LC TAP)—just finalized in May 2026—calls for the addition of bicycle and walking paths along Muddy String Road. The LC TAP also identifies a project to build a new trail system around the perimeter of the Wyoming State Land Trust parcel at the southwest corner of Muddy String Road and Prater Canyon Road. Working with the county to bring these projects to fruition is a task I am ready to take on. As mayor, I have already participated in the LC TAP finalization process and most recently provided a letter of support to the county as they seek grant funding from the Wyoming Department of Transportation to update the Star Valley Trails and Open Space Plan.
Working collaborative with area partners to further outdoor trail and pathway opportunities is the way ahead for success.
One of the reasons I love living in our town is due to its proximity to the National Forest. However, with that comes the risk of wildfire danger. Our Town is part of what is known as a Wildfire Urban Interface (WUI). Living in a WUI zone means protecting your home from wind-driven embers and surface fires. Our Town has already taken steps to prepare for a possible wildfire emergency by partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to create and maintain fuel breaks and adopting modern WUI building codes. These fuel breaks and codes must be continually maintained.
Furthermore, we have recently updated our Town Emergency Operations Plan and are actively working to establish additional egress routes and designate coordinated evacuation corridors for residents. Being as prepared as possible for an event we hope never comes, is paramount to our Town’s future and to the safety of the community.
Economic Development
At present, there are only four undeveloped commercial lots in our Town. What ultimately evolves on these parcels of land, just west of Town Hall on Vista Drive, must meet the needs of residents while being a viable investment opportunity for those willing to take on the task and risk of building.
The email survey of Town residents conducted during the fall of 2025 revealed that having a grocery store or market, coffee shop, gas station, or medical office space ranked highest by those who responded to the question about desired types of commercial development.
Certainly any future development of commercial property within the Town will proceed with careful consideration and be vetted through the Planning Commission using the procedures as outlined in Town regulations.
Along the way, we must ensure that any commercial development maintains that rural feel so many of us fell in love with before choosing to make the Ranch our home.
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