Effort saves open space from development, benefits wildlife habitat and recreation
By Benjamin Alva Polley EBS COLUMNIST
On Nov. 7, the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners voted 3-2 to sell a 640-acre Kelly Parcel of state land to Grand Teton National Park for $100 million. The sale will fund Wyoming public schools, and the land will benefit locals, tourists, and wildlife.
This parcel of land furnishes year-round habitat for bison, elk, moose and migrating mule deer and is along the Path of the Pronghorn, where antelope pass on their migration routes between summer and winter range. The land provides excellent habitat and recreation opportunities for locals and travelers alike.
The U.S. Department of the Interior is a willing buyer of Kelly Parcel. Selling the land to the national park keeps the land accessible to the public, provides a financial legacy for Wyoming schools, preserves vital wildlife habitat, and ensures Americans enjoy unparalleled views and recreation opportunities for future generations.
The sale of this property follows years of conversations between Wyoming’s Board of Land Commissioners and Grand Teton National Park. Over the past dozen years, the board has sold three parcels to the Department of the Interior adjacent to the park, including Jackson Lake Parcel, Snake River Parcel and Antelope Flats Parcel for about $62 million in total.
The state of Wyoming has owned the Kelly Parcel since its establishment in 1890. However, it has only been part of Grand Teton since the park expanded in 1950. This parcel is state trust land, and the state constitution requires that assets from state trust lands generate income for public schools.
The sale of this land is a win-win situation for the national park, tourists, wildlife and Wyoming’s school system. Many people in Wyoming and elsewhere may think that the government already owns too much land in Wyoming.
Why not open it up to development since the feds own 49.19% of the land within Wyoming borders? But on the other hand, why spoil a pristine place with breathtaking views and cover it with pavement when other beings besides humans will benefit from the land’s conservation?
Thousands of Wyomingites made their voices heard in favor of protecting open space, habitat, wildlife migration corridors, agriculture and hunting opportunities by including this parcel in Grand Teton National Park. Residents voted to save this piece of land, keep it free from development, and open it to various recreational opportunities. The government paid attention and now everybody wins.
Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His stories have been published in Audubon, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and other publications on his website. He holds a master’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana.
