The Bridger-Teton National Forest has a new defender … and his name is Indiana Jones.
This week, a new travelers’ information station (TIS) joined Wyoming’s airwaves on 1710 kHz — and the AM station isn’t short on star talent. Harrison Ford — who has long played Jones on the big screen — also has a big presence on the channel, with recorded personal messages for the national forest about outdoor safety.
Some of Ford’s messaging reads like this: “This is Harrison Ford. Hot dry summers mean a campfire can rapidly spread becoming a wildfire. Did you know you could be held responsible for a hefty fire and suppression costs? Drown your campfire before you leave.”
The Bridger–Teton National Forest is located in western Wyoming. The forest consists of 3.4 million acres, making it the third largest National Forest outside Alaska.
KHOL(FM), which serves Jackson, Wyo,. and sits just south of the national park, reported that Ford is an avid conservationist who also has property in the region.
In addition to fire information, KHOL said the TIS will address issues such as how to store food properly when camping and what to do when you see a bear on the side of the road.
Many other National Forests across the U.S. also utilize their own TIS, including Yellowstone, also in Wyoming, Yosemite in California, Rocky Mountain in Colorado and Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, to name just a few.
KHOL reported that the station launch comes after Teton County saw “record-breaking visitation numbers” as people flocked to the outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Per National Park Service data, Grand Teton National Park hosted 3,885,230 recreation visits in 2021, the highest number of recreation visits for one year in the park’s history.
The transmission equipment for the park’s TIS was provided by Information Station Specialists, which sources specialized radio components, advisory signage and related products.
