After discovering that the previous owner of the ranch had constructed a metal shop and cabin on an acre of Bureau of Land Management land, the new owner has received approval to purchase the illegally developed property in Wyoming.
The agency conducted an environmental assessment regarding the āinadvertent development trespass of public landsā ā which included a leach field, overhead power line, fencing, and driveway ā and determined that it was not necessary to remove the buildings as they are essential to the new ownersā operations.
In a Finding of No Significant Impact dated June 28, acting Worland Field Office manager Michael Peck approved the environmental assessment. The only remaining step is for the agency to conduct a 30-day protest period.
An illustration over an aerial photo shows the inadvertent illegal development of a parcel of BLM land in Wyoming.
Buyer beware
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In 2022, TAG Western Properties, LLC, purchased a ranch that supposedly included the buildings located 15 miles south of Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Ted Gelov, chairman and CEO of Heartland Food Products Group based in Carmel, Indiana, is the owner behind the LLC.
It was during a survey conducted by Gelov after acquiring the ranch that the issue was brought to light, prompting notification to the BLM.
āThe improvements on this parcel are considered by the landowner to be an integral part of their current rural ranching operations,ā stated the EA. āRemoval of the structures or a competitive sale of the property would not result in any additional public benefit and would be detrimental to the existing adjoining ranch. Current use of the surrounding land is agricultural and rural ranching.ā
Legal process
The sale of the land requires an amendment to the Worland Field Officeās Resource Management Plan since the land was not designated for sale in the document when it was finalized in 2015.
Given that the land is not valued for wildlife habitat, no long-term disruption is anticipated. A land trade was considered but ultimately rejected after Gelov expressed disinterest.
Under the BLMās proposal, the land will be sold to Gelov for $1,020 as determined by an appraisal. However, the agency will retain a reservation of right-of-way for ditches and canals, as well as all mineral deposits.
Not a first
Interestingly, this is not the first instance where the Wyoming BLM has encountered the issue of inadvertent trespass. In 2021, a landowner near Kaycee, Wyoming, sought to purchase 1.13 acres of land that his home was built on.
The issue with that parcel dates back to 1960 when Jack and Pearl Ross constructed a home and outbuildings on BLM land adjacent to the 52 acres they owned. William and Bonnie Ross acquired the land in 1999.
The error was not discovered until 2013 when a BLM employee identified the problem while using GPS to monitor range allotments. The parcel was sold for $555.
