Land Transfer for Pilot Hill Project Closed

Governor Mark Gordon recently announced that the State of Wyoming Board of Land Commissioner has closed on a land exchange which is necessary in order to complete the Pilot Hill Project in Albany County.

This exchange will benefit the State's trust beneficiaries by increasing the annual revenues, along with offering an improved appreciation of land value. It will also provide public recreational access to more than 4,000 acres of undeveloped open space east of Laramie.

To complete the 2-year process, the State Board of Land Commissioners approved a land exchange of 11,668 acres of isolated state trust land in Albany and Laramie counties for 4,343 acres on the Pilot Hill parcel.

Citizens and businesses have donated more than $1 million toward access and infrastructure development for the Pilot Hill Project, and the University of Wyoming formalized its partnership in the project with the purchase of 1,233 acres of the parcel in November of 2019.

The parcel will be leased by Albany County and managed collaboratively under a non-profit organization.

Recreational opportunities will include non-motorized trails for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians that connect to the Medicine Bow National Forest to the east.

A section of the property will be maintained with a primary focus on conserving critical habitat for elk, mule deer, and pronghorn.