GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK OPEN SPACE STUDY
 

History

Permanent settlement of Jackson Hole began in the 1880s, following centuries of use by Native Americans and a lively fur-trade era in the early to mid 1800s. The grandeur of the Teton Range inspired many years of effort to create a national park, finally accomplished in 1929. The original boundaries did not include any of the Jackson Hole valley. In 1943, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside valley lands donated by the Rockefeller family and other state, federal and private lands as the Jackson Hole National Monument. Most of these lands were added to Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) by Congress in 1950, with a provision for continuing existing grazing privileges inside the new park boundary for certain periods of time.

Longstanding concerns about protecting the scenic qualities and wildlife habitat in areas outside of GTNP led to the 1976 Jackson Hole Land Use Study, conducted by the National Park Service (NPS), Teton County, and other state and federal agencies. The study identified concerns about protecting lands critical for the management and enjoyment of the park, and for preserving the scenic and pastoral qualities of Jackson Hole. The largest area of concern was private land adjacent to the southern boundary of the park. A bill was introduced into Congress in 1977 to establish a protected scenic area, but it did not pass. Private efforts achieved some support but became bogged down in complexities.

The Issues in the 1990s

Private land in Teton County has substantially increased in value as the demand for development increases, to the point where continuation of traditional agricultural land uses is becoming economically unfeasible. Much of the land south of GTNP has been developed. With the recent expiration of the last grazing permits in the park, the issue has become grazing versus open space because ranchers holding these grazing permits own the last large tracts of open space in the county, including undeveloped land bordering the southern end of the park. Loss of park grazing privileges threatens the viability of these ranches and they may be subdivided.

Broad-based support exists for protecting the remaining open space in the county, but resolving the complex issues requires specific information on the benefits of ranches for open space, wildlife habitat and scenic views; the economic dependence on grazing in the park; and the impacts of grazing on park lands and wildlife. A bill passed by Congress in November, 1997 (Public Law 105-81) directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a 3-year study of these issues, during which time the existing grazing permits would continue.

One approach to preserving open space evolving over the last three years involves a group of private individuals, the Spring Gulch Preserve Board. They developed a plan to purchase a conservation easement on a 900-acre ranch bordering the southern end of GTNP by using federal royalties from below-surface mineral rights on Bureau of Land Management land in Wyoming. Department of Interior officials are meeting with the group to advance the proposal; recent news articles indicate a deal could be struck by next spring. If successful, the same approach could be used for protecting the open space on nearby ranches. Opponents object to the loss of potential land for much-needed affordable housing, though county planners predict the land would go to high-end housing if developed.

Ruckelshaus Institute Involvement

In January, 1998, Jack Neckels, Superintendent of GTNP, approached the Ruckelshaus Institute for assistance in conducting the study mandated by Congress. We participated in an organizational meeting in January of 1998 and have continued to assist GTNP in developing an approach to the study.

June, 1998

With funding provided by the NPS, the Ruckelshaus Institute provided a facilitator for a meeting among affected landowners, environmental group representatives, and county, state and federal agency officials.

July, August and September, 1998

Sara Flitner, working as a Ruckelshaus Institute consultant with continued NPS funding, conducted a Situation Assessment through personal interviews of people representing all interests to identify alternatives for an acceptable study design and process for the GTNP Open Space Study.

October, 1998

The Situation Assessment Report, including the Institute's recommendations for proceeding with a study plan, was delivered to GTNP. Sara Flitner facilitated a stakeholder meeting to discuss next steps on October 30th. At this meeting, participants agreed that the major work of the study would best be conducted by a smaller Work Group, and discussed who should be included in that group. Over the next few months, nominations for the Work Group were sent to GTNP personnel and Sara Flitner met with many of the nominees as the group began to take shape. Participants also agreed that Sara Flitner should continue as the facilitator for future meetings. The National Park Service is pursuing a charter for the Work Group under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and will examine the implications of the National Environmental Policy Act for this whole process.

February, 1999

A public meeting was held to discuss the makeup of the Work Group, roles and responsibilities, a work plan, schedule of monthly meetings, and ground rules. Initial Work Group members included:

Mike Brennan, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Franz Camenzind, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
Tim Clark, Public Participant
Marshall Gingery, Spring Gulch Preserve
Nancy Hall, Bridger-Teton National Forest
Mike Hammer, Spring Creek Ranches/Adjacent Residential Community Participant
George Helfrich, Grand Teton National Park
Pete Jorgensen, National Parks and Conservation Association
John Kramer, Jackson Hole Land Trust/Natural Resources Conservation Service
Conrad Lass, Wyoming Governor's Office
Kelly Lockhart, Landowner
Bob Lucas, Landowner
Russ Lucas, Landowner
Brad Mead, Landowner
Barry Reiswig, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Sandy Shuptrine, Office of Teton County Commissioners
Steve Thomas, Greater Yellowstone Coalition

March, 1999

A public meeting was held and Work Group members discussed detailed responsibilities and began identifying options for resolving the issues. The next two meetings will include seminars on tools to maintain open space and on grazing practices and wildlife. With funding provided by the NPS, the Institute provided assistance as needed, including meeting facilitation by Sara Flitner and coordinating with UW faculty members who might provide information or research for the Open Space Study.

May-August, 1999

The Open Space Work Group held a workshop in May to discuss potential tools for open space preservation. The group agreed to look further at the following tools and additional combinations of these tools:

• Conservation easements
• Fee acquisition
• Limited development
• Modification of estate tax law.

The group also agreed that combinations of funding mechanisms must be considered. Funding sources to be considered include any combination of local, state, and federal sources, along with private funding options such as land trusts, conservation groups or conservation buyers.

June's workshop attempted to clarify issues around the grazing question and build a scientific basis on grazing and its impacts that the group could use for problem solving. The content of the workshop indicated that how grazing is managed, as opposed to whether or not grazing occurs, is the real issue when working toward interests of ecological integrity. The group agreed that further dialogue on grazing is necessary.

Additional meetings in July and August were held to sketch out preliminary alternatives. The first attempt to capture alternatives concentrated on work group agreements to date, which relate to specifying the most reasonable and effective tools for preserving open space. Purchase of easements and tax relief were both considered viable options.

September, 1999 - May, 2001

The Work Group and sub-groups continued to meet to discuss options, review proposals from the landowners, work to reach agreement on recommendations, and review drafts of the final report.  At the same time, the NPS prepared an environmental analysis of options to protect open space that complements the Work Group report.  The final Work Group report was delivered to the NPS on May 1, 2001 (click here to view the executive summary from the report).

Summer, 2001

The Work Group report, the NPS environmental analysis, and the NPS's recommendation were sent to the Secretary of the Interior.  The recommendation is addressed to the Secretary through the Intermountain Regional Director and the Director of the NPS.   The Secretary will review all materials and make a recommendation to Congress.