And the work has just begun. It was back in 1989 that the idea of a Land Trust in Teton Valley was born. Early discussions by Michael Whitfield, a multigenerational resident, and others reflected a growing concern about the increasing development in Teton Valley and the effect these changes were having on wildlife and ranching.

Because of the rare plant and wide-ranging animal species that depend upon it, the Teton River Basin has been ranked the number one private lands conservation priority area within the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for its combination of irreplaceable ecological value and vulnerability.

Steeped in agricultural tradition, farming and ranching remains significant in Teton Basin, benefitting both people and wildlife.

The South Fork Snake River corridor from Swan Valley to Menan Buttes is one of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s most outstanding fish and wildlife resources, including the cottonwood gallery forest along this reach of the river, named the number one wildlife resource in Idaho.

Because of the combination of rare plant and animal populations in the area, the Henry’s Fork River is ranked as the number two conservation priority within the entire Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for its irreplaceable ecological value.

The Island Park Caldera, the Henry’s Lake Flat, Shotgun Valley, and the south slope of the Centennial Range make up a large and diverse landscape, where there are is great value for migratory and wintering elk and sage grouse, raptor migration corridors, and expansive habitats of value to many species.