The Jackson Hole News and Guide recently reported that the division of a 900-acre cattle ranch adjacent to Jackson, Wyo., could have implications for future development in the valley south of the city.

Reporter Cara Rank writes that the heirs of Robert Bruce Porter are dividing the Jackson Hole Hereford Ranch. The ranch has roots stretching back to the late 1800s that involve several pioneer families.

Rank writes: Ranch land in the Porter Trust is being divided between the families of Porter’s grandson, Robert Gill, and granddaughter, Elizabeth Lockhart, said Gill’s attorney, Bill Schwartz. Gill plans to continue ranching the property, Schwartz said, which may impact how planners and valley residents think about those lands during review of the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan.

The Porter Trust holds 900 acres in South Park and is the largest single tract adjacent to the Town of Jackson. Its red barn headquarters marked with the OVO brand that sits near the corner of High School Road and U.S. 191, plus beaver slide hay stackers, open pastures, cattle and hay ricks, have been part of the charm and character of Jackson Hole for 111 years.

In recent decades, the property has been eyed as a place for development, including affordable housing. Jackson voters, in a referendum, defeated an effort to annex a large portion of the ranch to the town of Jackson in 2002. The annexation plan called for 1,850 homes and 475,000 square feet of commercial space.

“The pending conveyance of ownership of the Porter Trust ranch lands to two separate families represents a changed reality that should be taken into account as the planning process moves forward,” an attorney speaking for the familis wrote. “Among other things, the separate ownership could have important implications on planning for interconnectivity between the ranch parcels, other parcels and public roadways, as well as the future location of density, open space and public facilities.”