Pittsburgh Steelers co-owner Thomas Tull is buying up thousands of acres of land in eastern Idaho in what is being deemed a land grab by some local residents.
Tull, a billionaire entrepreneur, and entities linked to him have purchased more than 7,000 acres in the Teton Valley, the Wall Street Journal reported. Several neighbors have raised complaints about increased truck traffic in the rural community located south of Yellowstone National Park, arguing the development of the land has scared off wildlife.
“It’s been nine months since we’ve seen elk or moose,” Anne Callison, who lives near Tull’s property, told the outlet.
AT LEAST 900 OF YELLOWSTONE’S BISON TO BE SHOT, QUARANTINED, OR SLAUGHTERED
In December 2020, Tull bought the 4,000-acre Teton Ridge Ranch, which was formerly owned by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, for $35 million, the report said. Since then, he has bought 3,000 more acres of adjoining land through the purchasing of houses, parcels of land, and more for roughly $30 million, a total investment of approximately $65 million, real estate agents estimate.
Despite claims of development, Tull’s spokesman, Mickey Mandelbaum, said Tull intends to keep most of his land for private use.
“He also believes in being a steward of the land for the next generation and this conservation-minded ethos is consistent with his philanthropic efforts,” Mandelbaum told the outlet.
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Tull, who owns stakes in several companies, has been a minority owner of the Steelers since 2010.
Representatives for the Teton County commissioner, the Idaho Bureau of Land Management, and the Steelers organization did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
