Important Habitat in Grand Teton National Park Preserved

JACKSON, Wyo., Dec. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the National Park Service purchased a 640-acre tract of land within Grand Teton National Park from the State of Wyoming. The purchase was made possible by the successful completion of an eight-month fundraising campaign by Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the National Park Foundation that raised $23 million in private funds. These funds were matched by $23 million from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The newly protected land, called Antelope Flats, preserves critical wildlife habitat, migration routes, and viewsheds, prevents private development within the park boundary, and helps to complete the original vision of the park. The proceeds of the $46 million sale will benefit Wyoming public school children.

"This is a historic achievement—a true win-win—for Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park and the state's Permanent School Trust Fund," said Leslie Mattson, president of Grand Teton National Park Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises private funds to support Grand Teton National Park. "The private fundraising effort was unprecedented. We are in awe of the incredible generosity of thousands of people who stepped forward to help protect Grand Teton National Park and support public education in Wyoming."

"This is a great victory for the park and all those who love it," said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. "The acquisition of Antelope Flats accomplishes a longstanding goal of the National Park Service by ensuring that this land will forever provide habitat for antelope, elk, moose, wolves, and grizzly bears as well as preserving the outstanding vistas of the Tetons for future visitors to enjoy."     

"Raising the $23 million in private funds in such a short time period is a testament to the power of the partnership between the National Park Foundation and Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Each organization contributed unique, complementary skills and tapped into local and national relationships to ensure that this project was completed before the December 31, 2016 deadline," said Shafroth.

Grand Teton National Park lies at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, connecting Yellowstone National Park with the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests including the Upper Green River Valley and the Wind River, Gros Ventre, and Wyoming Range mountains. In addition to its outstanding wildlife habitat values, the property supports the park's world-class scenery. The Antelope Flats tract provides unobstructed views of the Grand, Middle, and South Tetons at the heart of the range, Mormon Row and the prominent Blacktail Butte area to the south, and the Gros Ventre Mountains to the east.

Key conservation partners for this effort include National Fish and Wildlife Foundation via Walmart's Acres for America Program, Jackson Hole Land Trust, National Park Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming. John and Adrienne Mars, the Hamill Family Foundation, Knobloch Family Foundation, The Sage Foundation, Mark Headley and Christina Pehl, and Rocky Mountain Power Foundation contributed leadership gifts to this effort. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is providing a program related investment in the form of a bridge loan to support multi-year pledge commitments provided by many donors. Additionally, The Conservation Fund provided real estate expertise to support the transaction, and National Parks Conservation Association long advocated for the property to be included in Grand Teton.

Today's closing helps complete an effort that spanned 30 years to exchange, trade, or sell the school section. Since the late 1990s, Wyoming's congressional delegation, governor, and state legislature have worked to resolve the school section inholding issue. The late U.S. Senator Craig Thomas passed legislation in 2003 to authorize exchanges, sales, or trades that would compensate Wyoming for the Grand Teton school section inholdings. A Wyoming constitutional mandate requires that school trust lands, created at statehood in 1890, must generate income for the common school trust.

"Antelope Flats sits within Grand Teton National Park. Its sale provides Wyoming a greater return on the land and allows the people of Wyoming and visitors from elsewhere greater opportunities to enjoy the wonders of the park," said Wyoming Governor Matt Mead. "The state will receive the benefit of $46 million for our schools, and the park will have another 640 acres for people to appreciate. I thank the donors, Grand Teton National Park Foundation, the National Park Foundation, and the National Park Service for their efforts."

"We are grateful for the outstanding efforts of Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the National Park Foundation, as well as the many individuals who donated to this legacy project," said Grand Teton National Park Superintendent David Vela. He added, "It is humbling to see the commitment and passion of all involved to protect this parcel for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations." 

This purchase, through a combination of private philanthropy and federal funding, continues the tradition of generosity that helped establish Grand Teton National Park. In particular, it carries on the vision and generosity of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Laurance S. Rockefeller, and the Rockefeller family, who recognized the role of philanthropy in the permanent protection of critical lands for the public.

For more information on the history of the state lands, visit www.gtnpf.org/initiatives/state-lands/

Contacts for conservation funding partners:

• National Fish & Wildlife Foundation press inquiries to Rob Blumenthal, communications director, 202-595-2457, [email protected]
• Jackson Hole Land Trust press inquiries to Laurie Andrews, executive director, 307-733-4707, [email protected]
• The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming press inquiries to Bebe Crouse, associate director of communications, 406-586-5491, [email protected]

About Grand Teton National Park Foundation
Grand Teton National Park Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund projects that protect and enhance Grand Teton National Park's treasured resources. By funding initiatives that go beyond what the NPS could accomplish on its own, the Foundation initiates improvements, critical research, and projects that enhance visitors' experiences, creating a solid future for Grand Teton. Since 1997, the organization has raised over $60 million for capital projects, work-and-learn programs that connect youth to nature, cultural preservation, and wildlife research and protection.

About the National Park Foundation
The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and INSPIRE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service's 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, a $350 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years.

Please note the accompanying fact sheet on the timeline/history of the federal and state authorization for this purchase, as well as details on State School Sections and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Media contacts:
Grand Teton National Park Foundation
Leslie Mattson, 307.732.0629, [email protected]

National Park Foundation
Alanna Sobel, 202.796.2538, [email protected]

SOURCE National Park Foundation

Related Links

http://www.nationalparks.org