Post by Logan on Jun 14, 2016 2:02:40 GMT -6
JACKSON—Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead announced a tentative agreement Monday to sell a $46 million state parcel inside Grand Teton National Park to the federal government, providing a potential conclusion to an issue that has frustrated state and federal policymakers for decades.
The planned deal, announced on the sidelines of the Western Governors’ Association’s annual meeting, still faces hurdles. Under the proposal, the Interior Department will contribute $22 million toward the purchase of the 640-acre parcel. The Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the National Park Foundation will raise the remaining sum through private donations. The pair have already raised $5 million.
Monday’s statements were nonetheless significant because they signaled new resolve by Wyoming and federal officials to complete a deal before a deadline imposed by state lawmakers expires at the end of the year. The Wyoming Constitution requires state lands be managed to generate revenue for local schools. Advocates of the transaction have warned Wyoming might be forced to sell the parcel to a developer should the federal deal fail, raising the prospect that houses or subdivisions could be built in the shadow of the Tetons.
“When you look at this parcel, you think about mansions, or condos, or parking lots, I don’t think any of us feel great,” Jewell said during a news conference at the Snow King Resort.
Read more: trib.com/lifestyles/recreation/feds-plan-to-buy-parcel-of-state-land-in-grand/article_9ecdd8c4-f488-5cfb-846c-c3a5e14b6a83.html
The planned deal, announced on the sidelines of the Western Governors’ Association’s annual meeting, still faces hurdles. Under the proposal, the Interior Department will contribute $22 million toward the purchase of the 640-acre parcel. The Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the National Park Foundation will raise the remaining sum through private donations. The pair have already raised $5 million.
Monday’s statements were nonetheless significant because they signaled new resolve by Wyoming and federal officials to complete a deal before a deadline imposed by state lawmakers expires at the end of the year. The Wyoming Constitution requires state lands be managed to generate revenue for local schools. Advocates of the transaction have warned Wyoming might be forced to sell the parcel to a developer should the federal deal fail, raising the prospect that houses or subdivisions could be built in the shadow of the Tetons.
“When you look at this parcel, you think about mansions, or condos, or parking lots, I don’t think any of us feel great,” Jewell said during a news conference at the Snow King Resort.
Read more: trib.com/lifestyles/recreation/feds-plan-to-buy-parcel-of-state-land-in-grand/article_9ecdd8c4-f488-5cfb-846c-c3a5e14b6a83.html