Wyoming governor, BLM director expect proposals soon to prevent Grand Teton land auction
By Mead Gruver, APThursday, July 15, 2010
State, BLM move to prevent Teton auction
RAWLINS, Wyo. — Wyoming and federal officials expect to draft proposals soon to prevent the auction of two square miles of state land inside Grand Teton National Park.
Wyoming has tried for years to get the federal government to buy or trade mineral rights or royalties for the land. Recently Gov. Dave Freudenthal threatened to auction off the land if an agreement can’t be reached.
Freudenthal and the director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Bob Abbey, said Wednesday they expect state and federal officials to agree to specific proposals within a month.
The ideas would then go before Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Congress.
The property is worth up to $125 million but the state earns just $3,000 a year by leasing the land for cattle grazing.
