Dear editor:
The below-signed sportspeople’s organizations have a shared interest in conserving Wyoming’s fish, wildlife, habitat, and outdoor opportunities for present and future generations.
Surrounded on three sides by Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), The Kelly Parcel (T43N R115W Sec. 36) sits on crucial elk winter range as well as a few elk migration paths and is centrally located and important to the northern portion of the path of the pronghorn.
It is also located in a Wild and Scenic designated portion of the Gros Ventre watershed and is home to native Snake River cutthroat trout. This iconic parcel is a gateway to the National Park and the Bridger Teton National Forest, an area loved by Wyomingites and visitors alike.
We ask that the Wyoming Legislature authorize the Office of State Lands and Investments to generate a windfall for public education while conserving the parcel by conveying it to GTNP.
There was broad community support for this proposal from over 9000 Wyoming citizens who submitted public comments and attended community meetings hosted by the OSLI across the state in Cody, Cheyenne, Casper, and Jackson.
Revenue from selling the parcel at $100 million as referenced in section 300 of the budget bill will return $69.6 million in the first 10 years while also ensuring that the migration corridors, seasonal habitat, and opportunities for recreation, including an elk hunt via the Elk Reduction Program, will remain in perpetuity.
Please support this high return on investment that is a clear win for Wyoming children, families, and taxpayers; a victory for Wyoming policymakers; a triumph for the park that Wyomingites treasure; and further solidifies Grand Teton’s place as one of our country’s most iconic national parks.
Regards,
Jessi Johnson
Government Affairs Director
Wyoming Wildlife Federation
Josh Metten
Wyoming Field Manager
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Leah Burgess
Senior Conservation Program Manager
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Josh Coursey
President
Muley Fanatic Foundation
Marie Neumiller
Senior Coordinator, Northwest States
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
Katie Cheesbrough
Executive Director
Wyoming Wildsheep Foundation
Bryan Jones
Colorado/Wyoming Coordinator
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Leslie Steen
Wyoming State Director
Trout Unlimited
Joe Kondelis
President
American Bear Foundation
