It never ceases to amaze visitors to Jackson Hole how the Teton Range suddenly rises up from nowhere, gracing the sky with their jagged, majestic peaks and creating a breathtaking vista. 

Protecting open spaces where our visitors can enjoy these views has been a priority since the first explorers visited the Jackson Hole valley.  Today, that mission continues as the Grand Teton Park Foundation is spearheading an initiative to purchase a 640 acre inholding in the Antelopes Flats section of the Park that provides spectacular, unobstructed views of the Teton Range, Mormon Row, Blacktail Butte and the Gros Ventre Mountains to the east.

In addition to the views, Antelope Flats is also a primary migration route for pronghorn, bison and for the largest elk herd in the world.   Adjacent to the area is also the most productive sage grouse lek in the region.

When Wyoming became a state in 1890, the federal government deeded land to the state that was to be leased or used to generate income for public education, state government and other public needs. The state received two square miles for every 36 miles of land.  36 square miles also makes up a township and each township received two public sections to serve the public in perpetuity. When Grand Teton National Park was formed in 1929 there were two parcels of state school lands within the boundaries and they became inholdings within the Park.

The State of Wyoming needs to sell this land to generate income based on the constitutional obligation.  The trust lands in other areas of the state produce income from livestock grazing, timber harvesting, wind turbines and oil and gas production. The sale will provide critical funding for Wyoming’s public school system. Last December Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced an agreement that gives the Park Service until the end of this year to purchase the Antelope Flats and the Kelly Parcels.  The 640 acres of land, valued at $46 million, is at the heart of Grand Teton National Park.

The Grand Teton National Park Foundation and the National Park Foundation launched a $23 million private fundraising campaign to raise half of the funds, while the National Park Service is securing the remaining funds from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.  To date, the Grand Teton Park Foundation has raised $11.5 million, with four months left to reach its goal.

We hope you will consider contributing to the Antelope Flats initiative and protect this unique parcel of land within the Park.  If you would like to learn more about the project or donate, please visit the Foundation’s website:  www.gtnpf.org.

 Photos courtesy of Grand Teton Park Foundation