N EW S Wednesday, February 18, 2015 185 West Broadway Jackson Hole, WY (888) 733.9009
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2014 YEAR END STATISTICS - See page 11
DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM 13 HUBS Dedication from JH AIR Board ensures more flight options by Staff Writers
JACKSON HOLE’S BAR BC RANCH HITS TEN-YEAR SALES SURGE Recent sales propel total volume to more than $350M
Since its inception, the Bar BC Ranch has sold nearly $350M of real estate in Jackson Hole, with $24M in the last few months. Just over ten years ago, Hillwood Development a Ross Perot Jr. company purchased the historic 1,400-acre Bar BC Ranch once owned by former Wyoming US Senator and Wyoming Governor, Cliff Hansen. At the time, some Jackson Hole residents were worried that this scenic corridor, a pastoral ranch setting at the base of the Teton Mountains, might be developed to the detriment of wildlife and scenic resources. But Hillwood had a better philosophy. Under the direction of Ross Perot Jr., Hillwood donated 507 acres of the Bar BC Ranch into a permanent conservation easement. With this premise, the Hillwood team also created a plan that limited the density of homesites on the ranch - significantly less so than Teton County land use regulations would have allowed. The result? Phenomenal success. By leaving the land much as it was when the ranch was originally homesteaded, new homesteaders now enjoy their corner of pristine Wyoming living. “Recognizing the unique nature of the Bar BC Ranch, we decided that it would be best for the Jackson Hole community if we protected the open space of this incredible valley along
Spring Gulch Road,” said Fred Balda, President of Hillwood Communities. In 2013, Hillwood branched out and purchased three ranch parcels from the Lucas family, now referred to as “Bar BC East” located on the east side of Spring Gulch Road along the Gros Ventre River. These parcels have sweeping Teton Mountain Range views, wildlife corridors, fly-fishing waters and border Grand Teton National Park. To date, two of the three parcels on Bar BC East have sold in addition to fourteen of the original parcels at
“To date, two of the three parcels on Bar BC East have sold in addition to fourteen of the original parcels at Bar BC Ranch.” Bar BC Ranch. The Bar BC Ranch in Jackson Hole combines privacy, accessibility and incredible natural beauty. These attributes are unique compared to other Rocky Mountain resort towns. Jackson Hole remains one of the last bastions of protected open space as part of the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In addition, smart land preservation efforts through the Jackson Hole Land Trust and private owners such as Hillwood Development; ensure that these scenic corridors will remain so in perpetuity. And there are practical reasons for living in Jackson Hole as well. See BAR BC RANCH on page 5
Air service into resort areas has always been an important part of each resort’s success. Jackson Hole visitors, residents, and businesses have all benefited from the wonderful air service offered in and out of Jackson Hole. It has taken a lot of work to get the service and flights we have today. It works for Jackson Hole and it works for Wyoming. Over 50% of all passengers flying in and out of Wyoming come through the Jackson Hole airport. In 2002, a group of caring citizens and businesses formed Jackson Hole Air Improvement Resources or as it is better known, Jackson Hole AIR or JH AIR, as a not for profit organization to provide improved air service to Jackson Hole. The organization is led by a dedicated group of community leaders who pooled resources, both money and time, to work with the airlines in scheduling and managing flights into Jackson Hole. Being the only commercial airport located in a National Park adds to the complexity, as certain planes must be scheduled in order to operate at our altitude with only a medium length runway. According to Ed Liebzeit, JH AIR Board Member and Associate Broker at Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty, collaboration with the airlines over the past 12 years has resulted in significantly improved air service with nonstop flights to 13 different airports this winter. “We are in continuous discussions on routes and service, making the flights as successful as possible and offering attractive fares to visitors and residents.” Liebzeit added, “Although the recent airline mergers offer numerous challenges, they also offer opportunity for us.” Support for JH AIR comes from fund raising among businesses throughout the valley, being led by our Platinum level sponsors, including Jackson Hole Sotheby’s International Realty, the only real estate company that is currently a Platinum sponsor. It is with the special support from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, along with Grand Targhee Ski Resort and Snow King Ski Resort, who joined together to offer generous benefits to donors to the JH AIR program. The success of the JH AIR program is confirmed with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s all time record skier visits each of the last two years, and the 2014-2015 season looks to be another record. In addition, our new nonstop flights the last two years from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle have opened up Jackson Hole and all of it’s amenities to residents of those areas. We also have welcomed numerous new property owners who have found travel to Jackson Hole to be both easy and fast. In addition, these flights have allowed many international visitors to experience Jackson Hole bolstering our lodging, dining and retail businesses. See JH AIR on page 9