Governor Gordon Applauds Court Ruling that the State Has Not Ceded Jurisdiction of Grand Teton National Park Inholdings

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon issued a media release Wednesday applauding the ruling by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding Chief Judge Scott Skavdahl’s decision that the National Park Service regulations prohibiting the taking of wildlife do not apply to private inholdings within the exterior boundary of Grand Teton National Park.

According to the release from the Governor’s office, the State of Wyoming defended its authority, when groups had originally challenged the National Park Service’s decision about the inholdings and the NPS decision that removed certain private lands from the Joint Elk Reduction Program administered by NPS and Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Judge Skavdahl’s decision found the state did not take legislative action to cede its jurisdiction over the inholdings to the federal government.  The groups appealed this decision to the 10th Circuit where they lost on appeal.

Gordon said this is a critical underpinning for wildlife management in this part of Wyoming and gives due recognition to joint management and the strong relationship we have with Grand Teton National Park, which has always been important to Wyoming. The 10th Circuit also determined the plaintiff groups’ lacked standing to challenge the Elk Reduction Program and therefore instructed the lower court to vacate that portion of the judgement and dismiss the claim without prejudice.