Decision Inked To Sell BTNF Administrative Property

Bridger Teton National Forest Supervisor Jacque Buchanan Friday signed a conveyance decision to sell ten acres of the administrative site on north Cache Street in Jackson to the Town of Jackson, and failing that, to place the property on the open market.  The acreage being sold is located on the eastern end of the 15.3 acre site.  However, Forest Spokesperson Mary Cernicek says there has been no decision about the fate of the Forest Supervisor’s office.  Cernicek says the actual location of where the Supervisor’s office will be housed is still undecided.  She says it could be in a new building or remodeled building at the current location in Jackson or it could be relocated to Alpine.  Displaced facilities including warehouse, fire cache and employee housing would be immediately relocated elsewhere on the forest.  The decision to pursue the sale came after a supplement to the EA for the project was released in February of 2012 and public comments on those documents were reviewed.  The environmental assessment on the property sale was completed in 2009, but there was no decision made.  So a supplement was  drafted stating that at a minimum, the existing supervisor’s office would be renovated with the proceeds from the sale of the back portion of the parcel. Cernicek explains that the current Supervisor’s office building was constructed in the 1960s and does not comply with existing codes for energy efficiency, earthquake loads or accessibility to Americans with disabilities.  The Final sale price for the land won’t be known until after an appraisal is completed the end of this month.