After negotiating a paperwork gauntlet, a tract of more than 1,100 acres has been transferred by the Rockefeller family to Grand Teton National Park.
While the idea was kindled back in May 2001, the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve, valued at $160 million, didn't officially become part of the park until this past Tuesday, November 6. Long a private inholding located within the southwest corner of the park on the eastern shore of Phelps Lake, the land since the 1930s had served as a private retreat for the Rockefeller family. Over the years the Rockefeller had donated roughly 2,000 acres of the so-called JY Ranch to the park; this latest transfer is the last piece of the ranch.
While the preserve's trail system is now open to the public, its education center will not open until next spring.
The JY Ranch was part of approximately 35,000 acres of valley lands purchased by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. during the late 1920s and early 1930s for the purpose of protecting and enlarging Grand Teton National Park. In those days the purchase of the ranch itself cost Mr. Rockefeller $90,000.
The JY Ranch was originally purchased in 1906 by Lewis Joy and is considered to be the first true dude ranch in Jackson Hole. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the ranch in 1932, intending to include it in a sizeable land donation to the park. Over the years, however, it became a treasured family retreat and remained private property. Laurance inherited the JY from his father, and in the 1990s arranged for the transfer of a significant portion of the ranch—some 2000 acres—to Grand Teton.
One of the requirements for the transfer set by Laurance Rockefeller was that the existing seven miles of roads within the JY boundaries, its existing log buildings and its utilities be removed so as to restore the area’s natural landscape. Park officials say that approximately half of the structures were donated to Grand Teton for reuse as employee housing and related facilities; the other buildings were relocated to a new family property outside the park. A portion of this work had begun before Mr. Rockefeller passed away at the age of 94 on July 11, 2004.
With the seasonal closure of the Moose-Wilson Road to vehicles on November 1, visitors may only access the Preserve grounds by hiking or biking on the Moose-Wilson Road to reach the Preserve’s entrance gate and parking area located approximately 1.75 miles north of the Granite Canyon trailhead and about .5 mile south of the Death Canyon turnoff. Those who bicycle in, can lock their bikes to the racks located in the parking lot before setting out to hike the eight miles of established trails to reach Phelps Lake and the surrounding Teton Range. Visitors are encouraged to stay on the designated hiking trails; and bikes are not allowed on the Preserve’s trails.
For some more insight into this transfer and the beauty of the land, check out this story that Tony Perrottet wrote for Smithsonian Magazine earlier this year.
Comments
Beamis and I often have very fundamental disagreements in the past; however, I can't agree more with the sentiment that we need to be consistent in our ethics. I think the discussion on the other thread that I linked to says quite well why I think so. Conservation at all costs is not actually pragmatic at all. And, if we wonder why there is so much resistance in the West to environmentalism, looking at the history of misdeeds tells us why we are in some of the unreasonable fights we are in now.
Think of everything going on in Grand Teton and the immediate area - with the National Elk Refuge, with cattle grazing (ironically alongside bison with brucellosis), with CWD coming soon, and think of why those problems seem unsolvable. There's a lot of history of mistrust.
In any event, for the most part, Jackson Hole as it is now is mostly a happy accident, not a process of establishment I can celebrate. And, again, if anyone can actually convince me that I'm wrong to link ends and means so tightly, I'll be happy to stand corrected.
Jim Macdonald
The Magic of Yellowstone
Yellowstone Newspaper
Jim's Eclectic World
Being apache..i would only have to wonder why people would claim the best parts of the land for themselves..only to want to be praised when given back..the other thing is this..if you buy this land for a purpose only to say. "No..this is to nice to share...its mine"..then i could honestly say it looks like somebody did some type of swindleing...just a thought....
CAN ANY MORTAL HUMAN PLACE A PRICE ON BEAUTY ? The Murie Family ALSO allowed their ranch to become part of Grand Teton NP when Marty herself needed additional personal funding to live out her last years on what has become The Murie Center.
Imagine the Price of The Murie Ranch Property today if Grand Teton NP were asked to pay full market value !
Let's us Pray that No future Ego-driven Superintendency will find clever ways of spoiling and trashing the wildlife habitat within the Rockefeller Ranch property
building larger parking lots and visitor facilities to fuel "Disney Land Level" Tourism.
The cattle ranchers had their day trashing Pristine Nature prior to Grand Teton NP and today, ironically, the Challenge is to protect it from the NPS !
Everything I have read says Rockefellers had to set up companies or go elsewhere to buy land there because as soon as the name Rockefeller came up fair market value went out the window. Prices going as much as up 10 times value. Which would have made the park out of the question.
And that was a fact for a few sights for parks at the time. They did not come to be when looked at.
I read that land at the time of rail road went for 1.20 acre and they paid more.
This ideal that land owners found after the fact of getting a fair deal couldn't mess over someone just a shame.
In a place called Fair Haven settlers rented in the late 1700s from the natives for 1.25 a year. In 1800s they sold the land. Part of payment was guns.
I have seem a lot of paper sales over the years and just as a new car sold for 3,000 in the early 60s. A big pay by then was 4 or 5 dollars at auto work.
In 1950 a piece of bare land on channel went for 3,000 dollars at 25 a month. 86 with trailer on same piece of land 16,000. 1988 65,000. And now over hundred thousand.
The fact is a Ford worker I'm 69 was making 6 a hour now most start at 24 or 18 plus benefits. And many pay more for a new car than a old house.
I keep hearing cheated. Anyone know about the millions plus land the Cherokee land was sold for? That is right sold for. That was the problem. Some Chief's sold all the land. And at the time of the walk at the end they knew who was at fault and begin killing those who sold and signed.
Of course land is worth more over time. We get to learn that time and time again as we are taken to court for the same land being told how unfair and want the value is now. over a billion dollars now on the Black Hills.
They got that guy who want 4 million for his land in the West and the natives won't pay that they say. Not worth it. Don't let me win big.