Green Light for Sale to Grand Teton National Park?
On November 6, 2023 community members gathered around town square to protest the State of Wyoming’s proposed auction of the Kelly Parcel (643 acres adjacent to Grand Teton National Park). Initially valued at 62 million dollars, the state of Wyoming hoped to auction the Kelly Parcel for the development of 35 acre homesites.
If the Kelly Parcel was auctioned, this would be extremely consequential to the integrity of the land and the wildlife that lives there. The Kelly Parcel is a huge migration route for pronghorn. In fact one of the largest mammalian migrations in the United States, the 150 mile pronghorn migration goes through the Kelly Parcel. In addition, over 86 species listed as Wyoming Species of Greatest Conservation need can be found in the Kelly Parcel.
This sale would have been incredibly detrimental to the representation of wilderness and conservation that this part of the country is known for. That is why the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance took immediate action when we caught wind of the Kelly Auction. Our ability to get people to show up to the rally and influence over 100 people to show up at the public hearing ended up making headlines. Our efforts were spotlighted in The New York Times, Wyoming Public Media, Jackson Hole News and Guide,WyoFile, Buckrail, Cowboy State Daily, Mountain Journal and more! Over 10,000 people wrote public comments, the majority favoring the protection of the Kelly Parcel and in favor of selling it to Grand Teton National Park.
On January 18, 2024, Wyoming’s joint appropriations committee passed a budget amendment that urged the State Board of Land Commissioners to sell the Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park for 100 million dollars. One amendment to the sale section that did make it, however, would require the feds to allow hunting and livestock grazing on the Kelly Parcel. This is something that is typically prohibited in National Parks, but uniquely already a part of Grand Teton National Park. Another, would connect the sale to the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan. This amendment is an attempt to get oil rights in this distant part of the state.
Despite the tacked on requirements, the ability to save this crucial piece of land now exists- and in a large part because of all of you who rallied on the corner with us, gave really meaningful comment at the public meeting and wrote! Grand Teton National Park partners need to raise $100 million dollars by the end of 2024 to complete this purchase. The national park, hopes to have $62 million dollars from federal funding, while local non profits such as the Grand Teton National Park Foundation hope to fundraise the rest: $38 million.
Thank you to everyone who signed our petition to protect the Kelly Parcel and encourage Wyoming to sell to Grand Teton National Park. Although there is still so much more work to do to protect important migration routes, this is a huge win for conservation. Let’s continue to drive forward efforts that keep public land in public hands!
