CHEYENNE, Wyo. — House Bill 164 sponsored by Teton County Representative Andy Schwartz failed after its third reading on the House floor, Monday, March 22.
the bill would have authorized the sale of a 640-acre parcel of state-owned land on Gros Ventre Road, within Grand Teton National Park to the National Park Service.
The bill failed to pass the House, 24-36. Many Representatives argued that the land is worth much more, presenting anecdotal stories of Wyoming lands sold that were then developed for much higher profits.
Others suggested much more money could be made from selling the land on the free market rather than to “the United States or a federal agency,” as the bill authorizes.
“This is the best land there, it’s priceless and we would be better off to just keep the few grazing fees on it until someday,” said Natrona County Rep. Steve Harshman.
An amendment was added to the bill by Rep. Steve Harshman requiring the sale of each acre to be no less than $5 million, setting the price of the entire parcel at $3.2 billion. Rep. Schwartz said this amendment is a statement that “the state of Wyoming is putting an unreasonable value on a property and we are not interested in even having a conversation.”
A previous amendment was adopted by the House Appropriations Committee pricing each acre at no less than $500,000, making the entire parcel worth $320 million.
Schwartz urged the House to pass the bill. He said, “There’s this notion that the value of property in Teton County is infinite and I would fundamentally disagree with that one.”
Rep. Schwartz also referenced the 640-acre abutting the Shooting Star development near Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. He said, “There are many other parcels that are not full sections that we can sell there that actually have value in terms of development. I would argue that there is one that is relatively close to the hill that I ski down that I could say the value might be in the billions, I don’t know, It is something that would be appropriate to develop.”
“If we send this bill out today with this $500,000 an acre deal we’re all gonna say geez I wish we wouldn’t have done that,” said Rep. Harshman.
The Kelly parcel is surrounded on three sides by the National Park, the fourth side borders the national forest.
