Teton County holds wide-ranging workshop on possible transfer of BLM Snake River parcels; no decision made

Teton County commissioners heard competing proposals Feb. 24 for handling two Bureau of Land Management parcels along the Snake River known as Parcels 9 and 10 (often referenced together as “Parcel 910”) but took no formal action.

The session, introduced by Senior Deputy County Attorney Keith Gingree, brought testimony from the Walton/4 W Ranch and its lawyer Stefan Fodor, the Snake River Fund, Friends of Pathways, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and local neighborhood advocates. The central issues were whether the county should seek a legislative transfer of the federal parcels, use the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (RPPA), or pursue a negotiated exchange that would preserve a bike-path corridor along Highway 22 while changing grazing rights and ownership on parts of the parcels.

Why it matters: Parcels 9 and 10 lie on the east bank of the Snake River north of Highway 22. They are heavily used by the public for wildlife viewing, walking and river access, and they are central to long‑running federal and local planning documents. Stakeholders said the outcome could affect public access, wildlife habitat and the long‑term route and safety of Path 22, a major nonmotorized corridor between Wilson and Jackson.

What proponents proposed

Stefan Fodor, representing Walton Ranch/4 W LLC, described a refined proposal first shared with county staff in October 2024. Under that plan the ranch would buy a roughly 23‑acre northern strip from the BLM at fair market value, surrender grazing rights over most of Parcels 9 and 10 and retain a reduced 70‑acre agricultural lease. The ranch would convey about 3.34 acres adjacent to Highway 22 to the county as a deeded corridor for a bike path (a 20‑foot easement with a 40‑foot bulb at Pratt Road), and would seek amendments to existing conservation easements to allow burial of power lines and to enable the property transfers.

Fodor said the proposal would, in his view, create permanent conservation across the remainder of the parcels and reduce fences along the levee that now limit public access. “4 W supports the legislative transfer on the condition that its grazing lease continues in perpetuity on a reduced scale,” he told commissioners. He also urged fixing a permanent northern boundary line to avoid recurring disputes tied to river accretion and reliction.

Concerns from conservation and river advocates

Orion Hatch, executive director of the Snake River Fund, said his organization opposes privately acquiring the 23‑acre northern strip because, he said, a BLM cadastral letter indicates that land is already public. Hatch said giving that acreage to a private owner would be “a loss of access to that public land to the north” and urged the county to reexamine the RPPA route or negotiate an exchange that keeps more of the high‑value riparian land in public ownership.

Jenny Fitzgerald of the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance likewise urged county action that keeps riparian lands in public hands. Catherine Dawson, executive director of Friends of Pathways, focused on Path 22 counts and safety: she told commissioners that a permanent pathway alignment outside the highway right of way would be safer and more reliable, citing 2024 counters that recorded more than 53,000 trips at the Skyline Tunnel and about 200,000 counts at Emily’s Pond.

State highway and federal procedural uncertainties

Speakers also flagged uncertainty about Wyoming Department of Transportation (YDOT) plans for Highway 22; YDOT has not finalized lane configurations, which affects whether and where a separated pathway can be placed inside the state right of way. County staff and several nonprofit speakers said that uncertainty increases the value of securing deeded pathway land outside the YDOT corridor.

Process options discussed

County attorneys and staff reviewed three broad paths: 1) legislative transfer of federal parcels to the county (the route advocated by Fodor and consistent with a 2004 BLM Record of Decision and the 2008 Snake River Management Ownership Transfer Plan), 2) transfer using the RPPA (which can be processed through the BLM for recreational use) and 3) maintaining the status quo. Speakers disagreed on whether Parcels 9 and 10 qualify for RPPA treatment and on whether RPPA would allow the kind of exchange and easement work proponents seek.

No action; next steps requested

Commissioners did not vote. Chair Newcomb asked stakeholders to submit written comments and proposals for staff to review and urged staff to prepare a follow‑up briefing for the board. “Submit your letters as soon as possible,” the chair said; he said the county will schedule another discussion before spring break or at a near‑term meeting after staff have compiled the correspondence.

Quotes

“4 W supports the legislative transfer on the condition that its grazing lease continues in perpetuity on a reduced scale,” — Stefan Fodor, counsel for Walton/4 W LLC.

“We are of the strong opinion that that 23 acres to the north is the dispute is settled. It's public land,” — Orion Hatch, executive director, Snake River Fund.

“In 2024, the Path 22 counter at the Skyline Tunnel registered over 53,000 trips,” — Catherine Dawson, executive director, Friends of Pathways.

What remains unresolved

Stakeholders remain divided on (a) whether the RPPA is legally and practically appropriate for Parcels 9 and 10; (b) whether gifting or exchanging private land in the river corridor is acceptable public policy; (c) the final alignment and protection for Path 22; and (d) the precise northern boundary line where accretion/reliction disputes persist. The board requested written input and signaled it will return the matter to the agenda.

Ending

County staff will compile written submissions and prepare a staff report for a future board discussion; no final transfer, agreement or county acquisition occurred on Feb. 24.