◆ Wildlife, snow removal and winter recreation in the news this week.

• Winter Wildlife
SV RANCH – The Town of Star Valley Ranch is issuing a reminder to area residents to be wildlife aware.
“We live in an area with lots of wildlife,” said Mayor Kathy Buyers. “Drive cautiously.”
The Town of Star Valley Ranch has had issues with area residents feeding deer in years past.
“Don’t feed the deer,” Buyers said. “When the deer come down and in our neighborhoods the predators follow them down and that creates a problem.”
The Town of Star Valley Ranch has had a mountain lion in town recently, Buyers said.
Feeding deer is also bad for the deer themselves as they usually cannot digest the foods offered, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Buyers asked area residents to not leave their household garbage out where animals can get to it.

• Snow Removal
THAYNE – With winter storms rolling through Star Valley, the Town of Thayne is reminding area residents about the town’s snow removal ordinance.
Businesses and residents along the town’s sidewalks are required to clear snow from the sidewalk “fronting or abutting” their property.
Snow or ice from private property cannot to placed on municipal streets, roads, parking areas, alleys or sidewalks.
Parking along city streets is prohibited during snow removal hours.

• Snow Bike Races
ALPINE – The Town of Alpine will be hosting a snow bike race event in January.
“It’s part of a national circuit,” said Mayor Kennis Lutz. “Their event got shut down in Oregon this year because of COVID. So I raised my hand and we are bringing it to Alpine.”
The event dates are January 16 and January 17. The weekend will include a variety of different events and activities.
“We are sort of scrambling right now to get this all put together but its a good thing for Alpine and the Star Valley,” said Lutz.
Additional details about the 2021 snow bike race event in Alpine will be available in the coming weeks.

• Sledding Hill
AFTON – The Town of Afton is working to create a sledding hill just west of the town’s information center. The sledding hill is open to area families.
According to Afton Public Works Director Josh Peavler, the town is working to pile snow for the sledding hill. It’s been a slow start but the hill is sleddable with the recent snow storms, he said.
“We are going to continue to build the hill up,” he said.
The parking area near the fair grounds will be cleared of snow to allow for plenty of parking near the sledding hill.
Sledders are asked sled down the western slope of the hill (toward the fair grounds) to keep kids out of traffic.