Wyoming may auction off huge piece of pristine land inside Grand Teton

By MEAD GRUVER
Associated Press

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming officials will decide whether to auction off a valuable and pristine piece of state land located within the boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. The Wyoming Board of Land Commissioners has set a vote on the idea Thursday. State Lands Director Jenifer Scoggin recommends auction by the end of January, with an opening bid of no less than $80 million. The state land has existed within Grand Teton since establishment of the park’s modern boundaries in 1950. Wyoming officials for years have threatened to auction off such parcels but have succeeded in prodding federal officials to buy and conserve them instead.