Wyoming lawmakers are ready to propose legislation to sell the state’s 640-acre school trust parcel in Grand Teton National Park directly to the federal government, perhaps with a $100 million price tag.
Such a measure would provide an alternative to the controversial auction proposed by the Office of State Lands and Investments that could see the property developed into 18 luxury homesites. A direct sales bill could accomplish the twin aims of raising money for schools while preserving an invaluable national treasure.
First, however, the State Board of Land Commissioners — a panel composed of the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer and superintendent of public instruction — will vote on Dec. 7 whether to auction the environmentally sensitive “crown jewel” of school trust property to the highest bidder. A majority of the board is disinclined to approve an auction, KHOL Community Radio in Jackson first reported.
“I am hearing the proposed auction is dead,” Rep. Steve Harshman (R-Casper) wrote in an email. “I hope so and that is a good thing. We all want to protect the park!”
Lawmakers are ready to pick up the issue should the land board reject an auction Thursday.
“There’s intent to draft a bill for direct sale,” Rep. Andrew Byron (R-Jackson) said Monday.
Rep. Sandy Newsome (R-Cody) told the land board she prefers a sale directly to the federal government and, “[a]s a legislator, I’m willing to take the lead on that.”
“I don’t think you want to take a swing at this and fail.”
Rep. Andrew Byron
Byron said he started down that legislative path this summer before events disrupted his effort. That happened when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management enraged state politicians by favoring conservation over development in a proposed management plan for 3.6 million acres of federal land in southwest Wyoming.
Byron “did a pretty good whip count” and found about 50% percent in favor of a direct-sale bill where 66% would be necessary for the bill’s introduction in the upcoming budget session. That means the best approach would be to craft a direct sales bill over the next year, then bring it to the floor in the 2025 general session when bill introduction will require only a majority vote, he said.
“I don’t think you want to take a swing at this and fail,” Byron said.
Do I hear $100 million?
A 2022 appraisal estimated the value of the parcel — based on its development as a subdivision — at $62 million. The Board of Land Commissioners should auction the property starting with a minimum $80 million bid, the director of the state land office recommended Thursday.
Opposition to that has been “near-unanimous,” among some 8,000 comments submitted to the land office, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance said in an alert email. “Hopefully, the Board [of Land Commissioners] can see their way to acknowledging the overwhelming will of the people of Wyoming,” Dave Sollitt, the group’s executive director wrote.
Lawmakers have floated a $100 million direct-sales price should the land board reject an auction to the highest bidder.
“I was one of the people pushing that amount when we were up on the site this summer,” Sen. Dan Dockstader (R-Afton) wrote in an email. “I was rather blunt when I brought it up at our onsite discussion with [Grand Teton Superintendent] Chip Jenkins.”
That price tag didn’t faze some lawmakers. “Yes, is the short answer,” Sen. Mike Gierau (D-Jackson) wrote in an email asking whether he would back a $100 million bill. “Kids will learn that a bigger National Park is a really smart investment. That’s a good day’s work.”
Rep. Mike Yin (D-Jackson) would support such a bill but would need to talk to stakeholders before settling on a price. Senate President Ogden Driskill said he, too, would need to learn the details of any bill before committing.
Rep. Liz Storer (D-Jackson) acknowledged that the appraisal should be reworked but balked at taxpayers overspending on a $100 million sticker. “Why should feds pay more than the appraised value?” she asked.
That issue also perplexes Gierau. “It seems odd that we lease land at below market rates and we are okay with that,” he wrote. “The only time we drive a hard bargain is with ourselves.”
Harshman, chairman of the House Revenue Committee, thinks all projections are off base.
“Everyone in Teton County knows the recently suggested price of $60 million was way low,” he said. “I think $100 million [also] is way too low.”
Given the public opposition to development, the difficulty of advancing a bill in a budget session, the prevailing anti-federal sentiments and election year distractions, many lawmakers envision a year of committee study followed by a direct-sale bill in the general legislative session in 2025.
“What’s the hurry?” Harshman asked. Dockstader agreed.
“Ultimately if we can’t sort it out this week then we all should stand down, let the dust settle and not have an irreversible mistake with a precious piece of property,” he said.
A year’s breathing room would give lawmakers time to analyze the property and set up a proper bill, Byron said.
A bill “has to be very carefully crafted,” he said. If successful, however, it would be “the win of a lifetime.”
This story was updated to correct a style error — Ed.
Has anyone thought about leasing the parcel for the naming rights as they do with large venues? This would put money directly into the land trust and still retain the asset for future generations. A 10 year lease for the advertising @ a few million a year could be the gift that keeps giving. There should be plenty of companies willing to part with the cash to back up there climate change goals, what better way to show you care about the environment than by conserving some of the most prized land in our beautiful state!
My question would be – are you really wanting to sell a piece of Gods property? Sounds to me he made this land specifically for his animals as a way of travel. Seems to me it’s all about the money and nothing else. How did we ever survive before COVID and where people cared more than the dollar. Might as well hand it over to some foreign country so they can have more of what we have fought for. Think again people of Wyoming do you want your state to become like Montana “the land for only the rich and themselves!” Stand up Wyoming and other states and say NO. Start a new trend!
I truly believe that the direct sale to the feds would be the best. However, every word of the papers regarding the sale should be gone over with a fine-toothed comb. It would be lovely to add it to the Grand Teton Park providing there are no loopholes that could end up the property being developed into “ranchettes”!
What’s to mull, that is where the land should go.
Every few years we hear from Wyoming lawmakers and want to be lawmakers that the federal government should just give land to the state at no charge.
If the state itself values the land at $156,250 an acre and wants to charge the people of the United States that price, then that should be the going rate if the people of Wyoming want to buy the land back from the people of the United States.
Myself, I think they should put it out to the HIGHEST BIDDER with Zoning Parameters for a Grizzly Bear Casino with no HUMANS allowed. Jackson “A”-Hole, is not a sustainable environment for Wealthy Jerk Offs that get a Giant Woody looking at the Grand Teton while all their food and living “essentials” are delivered by Blue Collar Workers by means of Diesel Fuel. Who’s Foolin Who here?
Harshman speaks out of both sides of his mouth.
A bit encouraging, but i don’t think a delay will be helpful.
Money has been found, including from The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), but will it be there in 2025??? i think not…
The purpose of LWCF funds is to “conserve irreplaceable lands and improve outdoor recreation”. Folk across the state have so described the Kelly Parcel.
Funds come from competitive grants to states for local conservation projects, and WYO is not the only state with conservation projects.
The same needs elsewhere would apply to the federal portion meant to acquire lands and waters for public recreation or cultural resource preservation.
Maybe I’m wrong to say the moula would vaporize, and I hope I am, but sometimes–especially with the overwhelming support for conserving the Parcel–speed is the way to go.
No development, keep it in Grand Teton Park for our kids and our future. We have enough McMansions but 640 beautiful natural acres is irreplaceable.
No matter which path taken – auction or sale – the State of Wyoming is bootjacking the Kelly Parcel to the Federal Government out of ideological spite , in a stunning display of toxic greed. There are better ways to transact a square mile of public land than Reverse Ransoming it.
The sordid origin story of Grand Teton National Park in 1949-1951 was bitter… a fight between the Stockgrowers, one of the wealthiest family hegemonies in America the Rockefellers , and the State and Federal government. Without citing the litany , know the bottom line is the process that created GTNP was fractious ; only a partial success when you consider the Kelly Parcel and other orphaned state lands should have been incorporated into the new National Park from Day One. But we can’t change that history.
What we can do is set aside our greed and animus and take the path towards consolidation of GTNP from a place of trust and shared mutual interests towards the greater good. That should not cost any party $ 100 million hard cash . In fact, it shouldn’t cost any dollar amount at all. I believe the imperative in the Wyoming Constitution that state lands be maximized to benefit the state school system does not necessarily mandate the highest return by a financial sale on the one hand. On the other hand there are a gawdawful number of citations one can make about the same State Land Board lowballing grazing lease dollar returns on allotments. The precedents run in both directions, and not always in Wyoming state government’s favor.
The honorable, respectful, righteous and publically responsible thing for Wyoming to do would be to simply GIVE the Kelly Parcel to the Park Service/ Department of Interior outright. A heartfelt gift from the people of Wyoming to better complete Grand Teton park in the national and global philanthropic interest. Of course, that is not going to happen ( thank you Wyoming Constotution ) , so in order to give value for value taken, the Federal Government and State of Wyoming need to exchange land tracts using the bureaucratic barter system. Should be easy enough to do when you study a map of Wyoming land use and see countless places where yellow and green federal land and the blue state tracts are in the ” wrong ” places , practically speaking. The solution for getting the Kelly Parcel into GTNP might be a simple as redrawing the maps to take certain BLM lands out of federal management and deeding them to the State, gratis. Win-Win .
After all, Wyoming’s economy in fact draws hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism and recreation revenue ( and therefore taxes ) from having Grand Teton Park entirely inside the state boundaries. It’s hard to put a dollar value on something that is qualitatively of huge intrinsic worth , but can we all agree Grand Teton Park is priceless in every way and of huge benefit to Wyoming past, present, and future ? [ Sidebar: next door in Yellowstone Park, a unique piece of federal legislation called the Buck Act passed in 1939-1940 allows Teton COunty and the State of Wyoming to collect millions of dollars in sales and use taxes , lodging tax, and state fuel taxes inside Yellowstone Park proper- which it has done for over 80 years – without offering a single dime in services or logistic support back to the Park Service in return . So…..?]
The State of Wyoming Wyoming and too many of its hardcore narrow minded shortsighted Fed-Hating legislators want to Reverse Ransom a square mile that was gifted to them at Statehood , location designated grossly arbitrarily. Putting a $ 100 million ransom on that tract only serves to reveal how greedy the Cowboy Cabal in Cheyenne can be when they set their small minds to it. It’s almost criminal. Makes us look bad. Really bad.
We are better than that , Wyoming. Listen to the people.
The wealthy Rockafeller family should purchase the parcel to bring closure to what John D didn’t complete.
Well said Dewey!
No body I know likes the feds. Why would our legislature be any different?