Wyoming’s governor and other top leaders have decided to put off the auction of a large portion of state-owned land within Grand Teton National Park, instead opting to pursue negotiations with the US government to purchase or exchange the pristine and valuable property. The state Board of Land Commissioners, consisting of Governor Mark Gordon and the state’s other four statewide elected officials, all Republicans, will revisit the proposal in the fall depending on the outcome of the negotiations.
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Palmer “Chip” Jenkins Jr. expressed his gratitude to the board members after their unanimous vote against the auction. Park employees understand the need for the revenue generated from state lands, which goes towards funding education, but they are also concerned about the potential for development in inappropriate places.
The land is estimated to be worth $62.4 million, and State Lands Director Jenifer Scoggin proposed a minimum bid of $80 million. This would generate millions of dollars a year compared to the current $2,800 per year made from grazing leases and recreation permits.
State lands staff speculated in a report for the board that a luxury home developer who subdivided the property into lots no smaller than 35 acres (14 hectares) would pay the most at auction.
The reaction to the proposal was overwhelmingly negative, with thousands of people submitting letters and attending public hearings to oppose the auction. The National Wildlife Federation Action Fund website had a form statement which read, “This area should not be destroyed by the construction of luxury houses and other development. Too much development has already encroached on critical winter habitat near the park.” As of Thursday, the counter showed more than 12,500 submissions of the form.
The Kelly Parcel, located on the park’s eastern edge, is one square mile (2.6 square kilometers) and is currently undeveloped, except for a road running through it. Its unobstructed view of the Teton Range makes it an ideal habitat for moose, elk, deer, and other wildlife found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wyoming has owned the land since statehood, and it has been within the boundaries of Grand Teton since a park expansion in 1950.
Previous sales of state mineral rights and 86 acres (34.8 hectares) of state land in the park in 2012, followed by the sale of another one square-mile (2.6 square-kilometer) parcel in 2016, have generated over $62 million for Wyoming. State officials and the Interior Department had originally agreed that the federal government would buy the Kelly Parcel for $46 million by early 2015, but negotiations fell through and have been dragging on ever since.
Governor Gordon brought up the issue with Interior officials during a meeting of the Western Governors Association in Jackson Hole last month. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, a member of the state land board, made the motion to delay a possible auction, arguing that the current rate of return of $2,800 a year was unacceptable. She also suggested that other options, such as a land swap, should be achievable through negotiations, but warned against a “sweetheart deal” with the federal government.
The decision to delay the auction of the Kelly Parcel was made in order to protect Wyoming’s character and its valuable land and education. The board of commissioners will assess the situation in the fall, and will decide whether to move forward with the auction or continue negotiations with the US government.
