JACKSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Office of State Lands & Investments (OSLI) held a hearing in Teton County on Thursday, June 13 to discuss the fate of a 640-acre parcel on Munger Mountain. The community showed up in spades to support the preservation of this land easement.
The OSLI is currently reviewing a 35-year recreational and conservation lease for the parcel situated on Munger Mountain state trust land.
Teton County sent the state agency the lease in March, after a Montana-based company proposed developing an Under Canvas glamping resort on Munger in 2020. The lease proposal is an alternative to development and would keep the parcel preserved for recreational use only. With support from the Jackson Hole Land Trust (JHLT), Friends of Munger Mountain and other conservation groups, Teton County would pay the state $75,000 annually — more than $2.6 million over those three and a half decades — to keep the parcel undeveloped.
The proposed lease plans to generate $2.625 million for Wyoming’s K-12 public schools, according to JHLT. The lease terms, still subject to final negotiation, are compatible with existing grazing leases.
Max Ludington, President of the JHLT, opened up the public forum by stating the importance of the Munger Mountain parcel to Jackson Hole residents.
“This community-driven solution is a recognition that this is a very important piece of property and it’s a piece of property that has long values in the conversation of this valley,” Ludington said.
Ludington went on to say that in 2022, Teton County residents voted in favor of an $8 million SPET measure to help fund wildlife habitat and public access to open space, and that the “Munger Mountain parcel checks all the boxes” for this tax measure.
Wyoming Senator Mike Gierau voiced his support of the recreational easement proposal, saying it conveys the spirit of Teton County.
“It is a community-based, ground-up solution that has been voted on by the public … it has the grounds for support that I hope you can convey to the state elect,” Gierau said.
Wyoming Senator Dan Dockstader, who represents Teton and Lincoln Counties, said the proposal has his legislative support.
“We’re all for this and we are here to show our support,” Dockstader said. “I will probably go to the August 1 meeting in Cheyenne to help ensure that we get this through.”
State Representative Andrew Byron shared his personal attachment to Munger Mountain.
“Munger Mountain holds a special place in my heart; it’s where I first hunted elk as a child,” Byron said. “With this proposal, we will get to create memories for multiple generations,” Byron shared.
Many residents of Teton County stood up to share their personal experiences recreating on Munger Mountain.
Katherine Dowson, Executive Director of Friends of Pathways, added that the organization works in partnership with Bridger-Teton National Forest to build, restore and maintain a 130 miles of the front country trail system in Jackson, which includes Munger Mountain. According to Dowson, the current forest service trail system on Munger encompasses 20 miles and accommodates a diverse range of recreational activities, including hiking, dog walking, trail running, hunting, mountain biking and horseback riding. The parcel sees the most visitors in June through September. In 2023, the Friends of Pathways tallied that peak visitation was just under 400 people per day.
Written comments on the recreational lease are due by 5 p.m. on June 28 and can be emailed to slfmail@wyo.gov.
