CHEYENNE, Wyo. — On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Wyoming Legislature voted to approve the sale of the Kelly Parcel to the federal government for no less than $100 million, contingent on hunting and grazing allowance, and changes to the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs plan.
The sale will allow for the inclusion of the 640 acres of state trust land into Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).
In Dec. 2023, the Wyoming State Loans and Investments Board voted unanimously to table a decision on the proposed public auction of the Kelly Parcel, due to its inherent value as critical wildlife habitat and its location bordering GTNP on three sides. Thousands of Wyomingites wrote letters and voiced their opposition of an auction, with the hopes that the land would be sold directly to GTNP.
Now the federal government is poised to decide the fate of the Kelly Parcel.
During the House Floor Session, the Wyoming Freedom Caucus tried to block the sale, and was in favor of allowing the Kelly Parcel to continue to appreciate. In spite of the opposition, the Wyoming Legislature voted 34 to 28 to allow the sale with the condition of two added amendments.
One amendment will allow the federal government to lease the land for livestock grazing and public hunting for perpetuity. Neither activity is currently allowed in GTNP.
David Sollitt, Executive Director of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, told Buckrail that the sale will be a plus for everyone, but he has reservations about cattle grazing and hunting being allowed on park land.
“I think everyone in the community has been looking forward to a situation where the Kelly Parcel becomes integrated into GTNP,” Sollitt said. “It’s a much better outcome than having the land sold to real-estate. It does seem odd to me though, that hunting and cattle grazing would be added to the land use requirements. Why would that be injected on land that is to be integrated into the National Park?”
The other amendment would alter the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, which is a draft to manage 3.6 million acres of public lands in the Red Desert region of southwest Wyoming. Instead, the amendment will use the proceeds of the Kelly sale to acquire this federal land for oil and gas extraction. According to the BLM, the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan will oversee wildlife conservation and multi-land-use for the next two decades, including areas for off-road recreation, oil and gas development, livestock grazing, crucial winter range for mule deer, vast open spaces for pronghorn and Greater Sage-grouse populations.
During the Feb. 21 Legislature meeting, Clark Stith (R-Rock Springs) described this additional amendment as “a money-making trade for Wyoming.”
According to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation (GTNF), $62.4 million in federal funds is currently available to complete the sale, and the non-profit has pledged to fundraise to make up the difference.
“We remain ready to do our part to protect the Kelly parcel,” GTNF Executive Director Leslie Mattson told Buckrail. “Our hats are off to the many Wyoming legislators who rallied to respect the wishes of 10,000 Wyomingites. They have our thanks for their service and for giving us the chance to protect what Wyoming loves.”
The House and Senate will now negotiate the budget bills for the potential sale. The acquisition of the state trust land by the federal government will not be approved until the governor signs the budget bill.
