Government buys Grand Teton National Park land for $100 million to protect from developers

The Department of Interior provided $62.4 million for the purchase and the Grand Teton National Park Foundation raised the remaining $37.6 million through private donations.

A portion of land within Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park has been sold to the federal government, which will prohibit private development.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon certified the sale of the state’s so-called Kelly Parcel to the U.S. Department of Interior for $100 million on Friday. Gordon has previously indicated his desire to use the proceeds to buy other federal lands and minerals within Wyoming, according to a news release. The $100 million could be combined with an additional $62 million from the sale of other parcels in Teton County, Wyoming, for that purpose.

The Department of Interior, through the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, footed $62.4 million of the total price. The Grand Teton National Park Foundation, through private funding, raised the additional $37.6 million needed for the purchase, according to a Grand Teton National Park Foundation news release.

“Along with the protection of an iconic parcel of land, we now begin working to ensure that there is no net-gain in federal lands in Wyoming,” Gordon said in a statement. “It has been my goal to utilize the proceeds of this sale to expand the state’s portfolio of lands and minerals, and this is the first step towards doing so.”

The private funding was led by two anonymous families, in addition to the National Park Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Jackson Hole Hand Trust and nearly 400 donors from 46 states, who gave between $10 to $15 million, according to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.

Here’s what you need to know.

Governor’s move comes with a note of criticism

Despite the finalization, Gordon has also leveled criticism at the Bureau of Land Management, operated by the Department of Interior, for its handling of the sale. In a news release, Gordon claimed that the federal government, especially under the Biden-Harris Administration, has dragged its feet with the sale, despite the desires of Wyoming residents.

“With President Trump in office, former Gov. Burgum at the head of the Department of the Interior, and a Republican Senate and House, I am confident that we will have the ability to finish the job and right a course that has been so far off track over the last four years,” Gordon said in a news release. Doug Burgum is the former governor of North Dakota and was recently named by Trump to lead the Department of Interior.

The Bureau of Land Management did not immediately respond for comment about the Kelly Parcel purchase when contacted by USA TODAY on Tuesday.

Years in the making

The finalized sale follows years of conversations about the Kelly Parcel. Most recently, the Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners, which Gordon sits on, approved the sale in November.

Over the past 12 years, the Board of Land Commissioners has disposed three parcels of land near Grand Teton National Park to the U.S. Department of Labor. These sales, which occurred between 2012 and 2016, accrued $62 million. The board is permitted, under state law, to utilize this funding to acquire other federal lands.

As for the Kelly Parcel specifically, there had been discussions in the past of opening up the land for public auction, which would have allowed private developers to buy it.

What is the Kelly Parcel?

Located within Grand Teton National Park, the Kelly Parcel stretches 640 acres through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. It has been owned by the state of Wyoming since the state’s establishment, but it’s only been a part of the national park since 1950.

The Kelly Parcel is a state trust land, which means that assets from the land generate income for Wyoming public schools, as stated in the state’s constitution. The parcel, according to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, currently obtained about $2,800 annual through various permits.

The sale of the Kelly Parcel will return approximately $69.6 million into Wyoming’s Common School Permanent Fund within the first 10 years, according to the Grand Teton National Park Foundation.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.