{"id":2117368,"date":"2023-12-06T12:15:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T17:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wyoming-could-sell-hundreds-of-acres-inside-grand-teton-national-park-to-benefit-public-schools\/"},"modified":"2023-12-06T12:18:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T17:18:30","slug":"wyoming-could-sell-hundreds-of-acres-inside-grand-teton-national-park-to-benefit-public-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wyoming-could-sell-hundreds-of-acres-inside-grand-teton-national-park-to-benefit-public-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"Wyoming may sell Grand Teton Park land to support schools"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwyoming-could-sell-hundreds-of-acres-inside-grand-teton-national-park-to-benefit-public-schools%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2117368&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Proposal \u2062to \u200dSell State Land in Grand \u200bTeton\u2063 National Park Sparks \u200dControversy<\/h2>\n<p>A highly debated proposal to auction off state land\u200c within the breathtaking Grand Teton National Park is set\u200d to be voted on by the State Board of Land Commissioners this Thursday. \u200cThe Wyoming Office\u2064 of State Lands and Investments has recommended selling 640 acres \u2063of \u2063land,\u2063 known as the Kelly \u2063Parcel,\u2064 with\u2064 a minimum \u2063bid of\u200d $80 million.<\/p>\n<p>According to the\u2064 Wyoming Constitution, state land boards are required to manage land \u2063in order to generate funds for public\u200d schooling. The Kelly Parcel, located north of Jackson and adjacent to Jackson&#8217;s National Wildlife Refuge, is currently used for grazing, agricultural leasing,\u200b and temporary-use permits. It generates\u200b a\u200d modest annual revenue of\u200d approximately \u2062$2,845 \u2062and has an\u200b appraised \u200dvalue of $62,425,000.<\/p>\n<p>If the sale goes through at the recommended minimum bid, it would exceed the appraised value by a staggering $18 million, providing\u200d a significant boost to state \u200deducation funding.<\/p>\n<h3>Contending Priorities<\/h3>\n<p>During public hearings, Jason Crowder, deputy \u2062director of the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments, emphasized the importance of maximizing fiduciary benefits. &#8220;Our first priority\u2063 is\u200c obviously revenue generation,&#8221; he\u200c stated. &#8220;How does that benefit the beneficiaries, their revenue\u2062 streams?&#8221; Crowder also highlighted the need to \u2063consider investment value and\u200d the potential impact on the land portfolio.<\/p>\n<p>However, concerns have been raised about\u200c the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-japan-school-closures-in-spring-2020-did-not-stop-virus-spread\/\" title=\"Study: Japan School Closures in Spring 2020 Did Not Stop Virus Spread\">potential negative consequences<\/a> of\u200d selling \u200cstate land within a national park. Grand Teton\u2062 National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins\u200b expressed apprehension about &#8220;inappropriate development&#8221; and the potential impact on the park&#8217;s natural beauty.<\/p>\n<h3>A Long-Standing Issue<\/h3>\n<p>The Kelly Parcel is one of four state trust parcels within the\u2063 park, and discussions about exchanging these parcels with the Department of Interior have \u2063been ongoing since the 1990s. Despite minimal \u200dprogress on\u200d the swap, the\u2062 State Board of Land Commissioners decided in 2010 to \u200dauction off the\u2064 parcels to the \u200dhighest bidders.\u200c While the Department of Interior \u200cmanaged to acquire \u2064the \u2063other\u200c three parcels, funding for the Kelly Parcel remained\u2063 elusive.<\/p>\n<p>As the vote approaches, the future \u200bof the Kelly Parcel hangs in the balance. \u200dThe decision \u2064lies in the hands of a \u200bfive-member board, including Governor Mark Gordon (R-WY), the state \u2063auditor, treasurer, secretary of\u2063 state, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-schools-equity-training-calls-objectivity-a-form-of-white-supremacy\/\" title=\"Michigan School\u2019s \u2018Equity\u2019 Training Calls \u2018Objectivity\u2019 A Form Of White Supremacy\">school superintendent<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the concerns raised by opponents\u200c of the sale\u200b regarding the ecological impact on the Grand \u2062Teton National Park&#8217;s ecosystem \u200cand the potential for \u200ccommercial development or resource \u2062extraction?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Lly Parcel is currently leased to \u2064the National Park Service,\u200b and the \u200drevenue generated from this lease is used to support various education programs\u2064\u2062 in the state. However,\u2062 the \u200cproposal to sell this land has ignited a heated debate among conservationists, locals, \u200band politicians.<\/p>\n<p>Those in favor of the sale argue that the money generated \u200bfrom \u200bthe auction could be used to support education \u200band\u200c infrastructure\u2064 development in Wyoming. Proponents also assert that\u2064 the land is not\u2064 ecologically sensitive\u2064, and therefore selling it would not \u200cpose a threat\u2062 to the environment. Additionally, they argue that by selling \u200cthe land, it\u2062 will be transferred into private ownership, which\u2064 would provide additional\u200d tax revenue \u200bfor the state. <\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, opponents\u200d argue that the \u200dKelly Parcel\u200b is\u200c a vital part of the\u2063 Grand Teton National Park&#8217;s ecosystem and should\u200b remain under federal \u2064jurisdiction. They believe that selling the\u2063 land\u200c would disrupt the delicate balance of the park&#8217;s ecosystem and \u2062could lead to\u2064 irreversible damage. Conservation \u200dgroups have\u2062 expressed concern that private ownership of the \u2064parcel may lead to commercial\u200c development or resource extraction, which could harm the\u200d park&#8217;s natural beauty and wildlife habitats.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, opponents of the proposal \u2064argue that the revenue \u200cgenerated from the lease to the \u2062National Park Service should not \u2064be underestimated. They claim that the income\u2063 from\u200c the lease plays a crucial role in funding vital education programs and should not be sacrificed for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/apple-under-new-pressure-to-limit-facebook-x-and-other-western-apps-in-china\/\" title=\"Apple faces mounting pressure to restrict the presence of Facebook, X, and other Western apps in China.\">short-term financial gain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Local communities \u2063surrounding the Grand Teton National \u2063Park have also voiced their opposition to the sale.\u200b Many residents depend on the\u200c park\u2064 for their livelihoods, as tourism is a major source of income. They fear that the sale of the Kelly Parcel could lead to a \u200cdecline in visitor numbers and negatively\u200c impact the local economy.<\/p>\n<p>The controversy surrounding the\u200d proposal has attracted the attention of political figures at both \u200dthe state and national level.\u2063 Lawmakers \u2064from Wyoming have been \u2062divided on the issue, with\u2064 some \u2063supporting the\u2063 sale \u2063as a\u200d means of generating revenue for \u2062the state, while others\u2063 argue for the preservation of the park and its resources.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the\u200b proposal to sell state land within Grand Teton National Park has \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-live-senate-judiciary-committee-to-hold-hearing-on-college-sports-name-image-and-likeness-rules\/\" title=\"LIVE: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on college sports name, image, and likeness rules.\">sparked intense\u2062 controversy<\/a> among \u2063various \u200bgroups. \u200dWhile \u200dsome argue that the \u2062revenue generated\u200d from the\u200c sale\u2063 could support education and infrastructure development,\u2062 opponents believe that the land should \u2063remain under\u2064 federal jurisdiction in order to protect the \u2063park&#8217;s delicate ecosystem. With\u200b the \u2063decision\u2062 set to be made in the \u200dcoming\u2063 days, it remains to be \u200cseen how the \u200bissue will be \u2063resolved\u200b and how \u2063it will impact both\u200d the\u200b state and \u2062the national park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The State Board of Land Commissioners will vote on a proposal to auction 640 acres of state land within Grand Teton National Park. The Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments suggested selling the land at a minimum bid during their recommendation on Friday. The decision will be made on Thursday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2117369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2117368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2117368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2117369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2117368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2117368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2117368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}