The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments is organizing in-person meetings in November to gather public input on the proposed auction of 640 acres of state land adjacent to Grand Teton National Park. This initiative follows years of attempts by the state and the National Park Service to transfer four parcels of state land, situated near or surrounded by federal lands like Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest, to Teton Park. While three sales have received approval from the Wyoming Legislature, a deal for the fourth parcel has not yet been finalized. The parcel has been appraised at approximately $62 million, which is the minimum the state would accept but also the maximum the National Park Service can pay according to federal policy. This raises concerns that the National Park Service and its partners may be outbid in an open auction. Notably, former Department of Interior officials consider the 640-acre Kelly parcel to be one of the most significant holdings in the entire national park system.
A public comment period regarding the state’s analysis of the potential sale and proposal for an auction is open until December 1. The State Board of Land Commissioners will convene on December 7 to determine the next steps. Feedback can be emailed to [email protected], and the detailed analysis of the sale is available online at JHNewsAndGuide.com, along with an in-depth article about the proposal at TinyUrl.com/kellyparcel.
Source: Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Read the full article here.
