MOUNTAIN KING RANCH RESERVE the Spirit of the American West
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® MOUNTAIN KING RANCH RESERVE The Spirit of the American West MASTER PLAN APRIL 1, 2016 AND ARE PLEASED TO PRESENT THIS UNIQUE RECREATIONAL RANCH LIMITED OFFERING BIG WYOMING’S MOUNTAIN KING RANCH RESERVE THE SPIRIT OF CONSERVATION IN THE AMERICAN WEST PREPARED BY WWW.DHMDESIGN.COM NOTE: All quantities, dimensions, distances, improvement square footage, numbers of acres and agricultural operation assumptions are good faith estimates by the seller, land planner and real estate broker. A prospective buyer must complete their own due diligence to confirm these estimates to their satisfaction. ii CONTENTS Conservation and the Spirit of the American West 1 The Master Plan 8 The Ranch Reserve Association 27 Appendix 31 Air Service to Jackson Hole, WY 32 Tax Benefits 33 Master Plan Team 34 Master Plan Graphic Enlargements 37 ® iii iv CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST View across the Ranch Lands with the Wyoming Range in the Distance Vision When Frank Krejci of Century Development in Omaha, Nebraska hired us* to create a Master Plan for the Mountain King Ranch, he set the bar high: “When I bought the five homestead ranches running along the Wyoming Range and aggregated them into the 31,000 acre Mountain King Ranch, I knew that I wanted this special place to become a world class recreational ranch by improving the equestrian, hunting and fishing assets. I also wanted the cowboy and cattle ranching operations to continue, in balance with the hunting and fishing, tapping into the history and spirit of the American West. I knew that with a big long term vision and consistent investment in conservation, the Ranch would be an incredible natural reserve with miles of forest boundary, thousands of acres of irrigated grasslands, miles of mountain streams and private meadows all teaming with magnificent fish, game birds, raptors and abundant wildlife. The master plan will allow me to share the ranch with a very limited group of partners who want to help accomplish this grand vision.” * The Master Plan team includes Charlie Kees of DHM Design, Bozeman MT; Steve Duerr of Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates Group, the exclusive Wyoming affiliate of Christies International Real Estate in Jackson Hole WY; and owner Frank Krejci, Century Development, Omaha NE (additional biographical information can be found in the Appendix at the end of the report). 1 CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST Geographic Setting Mountain King Ranch is located approximately 70 miles south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming and 20 miles west of Pinedale in Sublette County, Wyoming. Sublette County is said to be the least populated county in the least populated state in the nation, with no full-time signal lights to this day. The county ranges in elevation from 6,280 feet in the valley to 13,800 feet in the Wind River Range and boasts more than 1,300 glacier fed lakes. The three spectacularly beautiful mountain ranges, the Wind River, Gros Ventre and Wyoming Ranges, give birth to numerous fast-flowing streams that find their way into the Green River. The north and south forks of Horse Creek and the North Fork of Cottonwood Creek flow down from the Wyoming Range and meander eastward across the ranch for a combined approximate 35 miles of live water. The vast expanse of the Mountain King Ranch Reserve (about 95 square miles) is apparent on the map on the following page showing the proximity of the outfitting permit area on the U.S. Forest Service Land (approximately 30,000 acres, 47 sections) and the ranch deeded area and state leases along the north and south forks of Horse Creek and North Cottonwood Creek (about 31,000 acres, 48 sections). The cattle and outfitting operations stretch for miles across approximately 31,783 intact acres with 29,823 deeded acres and 1,960 acres of Wyoming leased lands (approximately 15 miles by 8 miles), plus the contiguous Forest Service outfitting permit area. Thousands of acres of irrigated grassland may have a summer capacity to carry up to 7,000 head of cattle. Except for a short distance at the southern end of the ranch where the Cottonwood-Rye Grass county road heads up and across the Wyoming Range at McDougal Gap, no public roads cross the ranch. The western boundary of the ranch is bordered by remote and undisturbed national forest for almost 10 miles. This U.S. Forest Service land is part of the Bridger Teton National Forest and Wilderness complex located at the southern end of the Greater Yellowstone Region as shown on the map on Page 4. This astonishing area represents almost 20 million acres of pristine forests, mountains, rivers and streams. Jim Bridger and Bill Sublette, from whom the county and forest derive their names, were mountain men and part of the fur trapping brigade that included Hugh Glass. Their names were made famous for their part in leaving old Hugh to die after he was mauled by a Grizzly, as portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the recent movie Revenant. Pastures at Mountain King Ranch with the Wyoming Range in the Distance 2 CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST BONDURANT WYOMING RANGE U.S. FOREST SERVICE LAND MOUNTAIN KING RANCH USFS OUTFITTING PERMIT AREA ±30,000 ACRES MOUNTAIN KING RANCH DANIEL ±31,000 ACRES BLM LAND PINEDALE HWY 189 MARBLETON BIG PINEY Context Map Showing Mountain King Ranch and Associated USFS Outfitting Permit Area 3 CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST GREATER YELLOWSTONE REGION YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK JACKSON MOUNTAIN KING RANCH DANIEL PINEDALE BIG PINEY Greater Yellowstone Region with Mountain King Ranch in Red 4 CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST Historical Setting and The Old West Legacy Near the ranch three well-known archaeological sites place indigenous peoples living in the area surrounding Mountain King Ranch for thousands of years. The Wardell Buffalo Trap is the oldest known kill site where hunters used bows and arrows, and dates back approximately 1,000 years. The Trapper’s Point Antelope Kill Site has been radiocarbon dated to between 7,880 to 4,690 years old and archaeologists excavating the J. David Love Site in the Jonah Field south of present Pinedale uncovered the oldest burial site in Wyoming, dating back 7,200 years. Archaeological data suggests that people have lived in the region for at least 9,000 years. Archaeologists also believe all of the natives were seasonal, moving out during the winter and returning for the summer with the buffalo and other big game. The first Euro-Americans to arrive in the Rocky Mountain region came for the beaver living in the mountain streams and rivers. The tributaries of the Green River that run across the ranch were heavily trapped by the mountain men. Historians consider 1820 to 1840 the peak years of the beaver fur trade. At a spot visible from the high ridges of the ranch, the annual trappers’ rendezvous was held near the junction of Horse Creek and the Green River near Daniel, WY. There the season’s take in pelts was traded for powder and ball, Green River skinning knives, traps, blankets, trade beads and whiskey. Starting in the early 1840s, at first a trickle and later a flood of people began making the 2,000 mile trek from the Midwest to Oregon and California. As many as half a million people crossed the famous South Pass at the south end of the Wind River Range, an area visible from the ranch on a clear day. The Lander Cut Off of the Oregon Trail crossed the Green River just south of the ranch heading over the Wyoming Range at Big Piney. Mountain King Ranch Significant Historical Sites and Trails in the Region Surrounding Mountain King Ranch (photo credit: http://uwdigital.uwyo.edu/islandora/object/wyu:121401) 5 CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST Cattle Grazing at Mountain King Ranch Ranching Operations at Mountain King Ranch Reserve The next generation of western pioneers started trailing cattle back to the lush high mountain meadows and river valleys. By the 1870s, vast herds of cattle were turned out and fattened on Wyoming grass and in the fall trailed to the distant rail spurs and shipped to eastern markets. Cattlemen discovered that, like the native buffalo, their stock could graze year-round on sparse but nutritious prairie grasses that cured on the stem in the dry climate. The names of the five ranch stations located on the property take their names from some of these early cattlemen and other place names on the ranch. Names like, Greenwood, Lloyd, Jensen, Haines, Jewett, Connor, Taylor and Boroff represent five generations of connections to the ranch. Back then in the area of what is still known as the Green River Drift (a national historic trail and cultural site in continuous use since 1896) cattle drives from the Cora-Pinedale- Daniel-Boulder areas to rail spurs like Opal further south often took about a month. Starting in the late 1920s and early 1930s, ranchers began using trucks to haul cattle, although trailing cattle to market continued in the county into the early 1940s. Some of the earliest Sublette County cattle ranches still operate today with fifth or sixth generations running the businesses. Cowboys on horseback moving herds are still a common sight. 6 CONSERVATION & THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN WEST Cattle Operations at Mountain King Ranch - Sawtooths of Gros Ventre Range in the Distance The Mountain King Ranch Reserve homestead owners will be privileged to experience this life of the golden west. The big herds must be rotated across the ranch during the summer and gathered for shipping in the fall.