ALTA, Wyo. -The Forest Service has approved a land swap with the Grand Targhee resort, that will allow for the development of land at the base of the ski hill near Alta, Wyoming.

The Service traded 120 acres of public land at the resort for 400 private acres of grizzly bear habitat in Squirrel Meadows near Ashton, Wyoming, that the Forest Service has been trying to acquire and protect for years.

The resort has planned to build condos, family homes, restaurants and shops to transform the resort into a year-round destination and compete with other ski resorts offering a wider range of activities.

The amount of land the Forest Service swapped at the base of the resort was scaled back from an original proposal that would have put 195 acres into private resort ownership. The configuration of land that the Forest Service will trade at the base of the hill was also changed to keep wetlands in public ownership and to make sure no development is visible from Teton Valley.