Current:Home > StocksWyoming moves ahead with selling land in Grand Teton National Park to federal government for $100M -GrowthProspect
Wyoming moves ahead with selling land in Grand Teton National Park to federal government for $100M
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-10 19:19:10
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming officials voted Thursday to proceed with selling a spectacular, pristine piece of state property within Grand Teton National Park to the federal government for $100 million and end decades of threats to sell it to the highest-bidding private developer.
The 3-2 vote by the state Board of Land Commissioners — made up of Gov. Mark Gordon and the other top four state elected officials, all Republicans — puts the square-mile (2.6-square-kilometer) parcel with an unobstructed view of the Teton Range a step closer to becoming part of the park.
The land that has been a bone of contention between Wyoming and federal officials for decades may finally be on track to sell by the end of this year.
“There’s clearly a right decision to be made. This is a very rare opportunity for you to do the right thing for education in Wyoming,” Wyoming Senate President Ogden Driskill, a Republican, urged the board before the vote.
Conservation and sportsmen’s groups have made similar appeals to keep the property out of private hands even though selling to developers could net the state the highest dollar return.
The state land surrounded by national parkland on all sides has belonged to Wyoming since statehood. However, leasing it for grazing has brought in only a few thousand dollars a year, far below what the state could get from a modest return on investing the proceeds of a sale.
As in other states particularly in the West, revenue from state lands funds public education.
The two officials voting no said they hoped to strike a better deal under President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, possibly involving a swap for fossil-fuel-rich federal lands elsewhere in the state.
For decades, Wyoming governors have threatened to sell the land within Grand Teton to the highest bidder if the federal government didn’t want to buy it.
The threats led to on-and-off negotiations and three previous sales of other state land within the park to the federal government totaling $62 million.
veryGood! (587)
Related
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Virtual valentine: People are turning to AI in search of emotional connections
- Global Warming Could Drive Locust Outbreaks into New Regions, Study Warns
- Megan Fox Reacts to Critics Over Double Date Photo With Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Missouri high court upholds voting districts drawn for state Senate
- One dead, 21 wounded amid shots fired into crowd after Kansas City Chiefs rally: Live updates
- As the Number of American Farms and Farmers Declines, Agriculture Secretary Urges Climate Action to Reverse the Trend
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- National Archives closes to public after activists dump red powder on case holding Constitution
Ranking
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Rachel Morin Murder Case: Victim's Mom Pleads for Help Amid Investigation
- Power outages hit Boston transit system during morning rush hour, stranding thousands
- Photos: SpaceX launches USSF-124 classified mission from Cape Canaveral, Odysseus to follow
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- North Dakota lieutenant governor launches gubernatorial bid against congressman
- Rachel Morin Murder Case: Victim's Mom Pleads for Help Amid Investigation
- Alyssa Milano slammed for attending Super Bowl after asking for donations for son's baseball team
Recommendation
New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
When will the Fed cut interest rates in 2024? Here's what experts now say and the impact on your money.
Skiier killed, 2 others hurt after falling about 1,000 feet in Alaska avalanche
Jason Kelce calls out Travis after Kansas City Chiefs star bumped into coach Andy Reid during Super Bowl
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
Dolly Parton Defends Doll Elle King After Performance Backlash
Medical marijuana again makes its way to the South Carolina House
Caught at border with pythons in his pants, New York City man fined and sentenced to probation