The Laurance S. Rockefeller (LSR) Preserve is a 1,106-acre (448 ha) refuge within Grand Teton National Park on the southern end of Phelps Lake. The site was originally known as the JY Ranch, a dude ranch. Starting in 1927, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased much of the land in Jackson Hole for the creation of Jackson Hole National Monument and the expansion of Grand Teton National Park. But he retained the 3,100-acre (1,300 ha) JY Ranch as a family retreat.[1] Over the years the family gave most of the ranch to the national park. Laurance S. Rockefeller donated the final parcel in 2001. The donation came with special preservation and maintenance restrictions, with the vision that the preserve remain a place where visitors can experience a spiritual and emotional connection to the beauty of the lake and the Teton Range.[2]
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The lands that formed the JY Ranch were first homesteaded in 1903 by Dave Spalding. He sold the property in 1906 to Louis Joy, who, with Struthers Burt, converted the property to Jackson Hole's first dude ranch, abbreviating Joy's last name to "JY." The ranch was purchased by the Rockefellers' Snake River Land Company in 1932, becoming a family retreat.[3]
The LSR Preserve features several types of natural communities. Sagebrush meadows are relatively dry and are home to a variety of wildflowers and animal species. The preserve's forests are predominantly composed of fir, spruce, and lodgepole pine with intermittent growth of cottonwoods and aspens. Sedges and other low plants grow in the wetlands providing food and cover for migrating birds.[2] Eight miles (13 km) of trails provide public access to these natural communities.[1]
Before the creation of the LSR Preserve, the Rockefeller family either demolished or moved off-site the cabins and other structures associated with the JY Ranch. Their intent was to remove unnecessary artificial features from the preserve, and to develop ecologically friendly facilities required for the new use of the land. The preserve, including the 7,573 ft² (704 m²) visitor center dedicated on June 21, 2008, is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified property in Wyoming and only the fifty-second Platinum rating in the LEED program.[4] Carney Architects of Jackson, Wyoming designed the facility with the Rocky Mountain Institute consulting on energy and daylighting analysis; Hershberger Design prepared the master plan and site design which includes 10 miles of interpretive hiking and ADA trails. Rockefeller Financial Services developed the property for the national park.[5] Featuring composting toilets and a 10 kW photovoltaic system, the facility earned all 17 LEED energy points.[6]