Grand Teton Foundation Races to Fundraise — or Lose Key Wildlife Corridor

The state of Wyoming is considering selling a 640-acre parcel of land to Grand Teton National Park — for $100 million.

Some state legislators suggested the land should be sold at a public auction to gain more revenue, which the state’s constitution mandates, writes Chris Clements in NPR. “After the uproar, the Wyoming Legislature passed a bill allowing two years for the federal government to buy the land for not-less-than $100 million and merge it with the park adjacent to it.” Now, the Grand Teton National Park Foundation is racing against time to raise the needed $38 million, with the federal government promising to kick in the remainder.

Money isn’t the only object: “In the bill passed by the Legislature, there’s a line tying the fate of the deal for the Kelly Parcel to something else lawmakers want: More access to an area in the southwest corner of the state, owned by the federal government.” State leaders want to open the land for grazing and resource extraction, but conservationists say the area is a crucial migration corridor for hoofed mammals due to its unique geography. If the foundation doesn’t raise the money to buy the land in two years, it could end up back on the auction block for private buyers.