Park Service pays $16M of state land in Grand Teton

The National Park Service has completed the second phase of its purchase of just more than 2 square miles of state land inside Grand Teton National Park.

Park Service officials announced Friday that the Interior Department had paid Wyoming $16 million for 86 acres in the park. Recent federal budget uncertainty had cast doubt on whether the purchase scheduled to occur by Jan. 5 would happen.

Wyoming officials had badgered Interior for years to buy the valuable land and at one point even threatened to auction off the property. In 2010, Interior officials agreed to buy the land in four installments totaling $107 million.

The latest installment follows this year's purchase of 40 acres of mineral rights for $2,000. The biggest parcels are scheduled for sale in 2014 and 2015.