Climate change alters life at Fed’s Jackson Hole conference

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — When officials of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City sought a location for an annual economic symposium in 1981, they chose Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for a simple reason: It had fly-fishing. Paul Volcker, the Fed chairman at the time, was known to enjoy the pastime. Now, however, warmer waters in Jackson Lake and the Snake River it empties into have led the Park Service to urge anglers to restrict their fishing to the morning hours. Catch-and-release fishing is harder on the fish when water is warmer, and the fish are also harder to catch later in the day. It’s just one example of how climate change is confronting Fed officials during their annual summer symposium in Jackson Hole.