162 acres in Teton County, WY Permanently Protected by Boyd Bowles and Teton Regional Land Trust
Boyd Bowles of Teton County recently completed his second conservation easement with Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT), ensuring that the mouth of Darby Canyon, a popular recreation area and wildlife haven, will remain permanently undeveloped. This 162-acre Wyoming property protects scenic open space; working agricultural lands; habitat for native plants, fish, and wildlife; and wetland and riparian areas along Darby Creek, adding to the protection of his first 192-acre easement in Idaho that was completed in 2023.
Boyd Bowles and his family have owned the land for decades. Boyd farmed the land himself for many years, after his father farmed the land before him. He now leases the land to a local family and intends to keep the land farmed for as long as possible. The legacy of the land is important to him as it has a special place in his heart. As Boyd likes to say, “I do it for the love of the land. I would hate to see my life-long home turn to development.”
“This easement preserves historic agricultural land in Teton Valley and protects the mouth of an amazing canyon—one of the last undeveloped canyons in the valley. This conservation easement is a gift not just to the future landowners of this property, but to the entire valley,” added Lydia Hanson, TRLT Conservation Project Manager.
The Darby Creek property connects to Forest Service land in the Teton Range, as well as an additional conservation easement held by TRLT, and protects several species listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Wyoming’s State Wildlife Action Plan. Those include several bird species—Short-eared Owl, Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse, Common Nighthawk, and Great Gray Owl; and three bat species—little brown myotis, western small-footed myotis, and Townsend’s big-ear bat. The area is also important for migrating mule deer and other mammal species like moose, bears, and mountain lions.
Funding for this project came from multiple sources including the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Heart of the Rockies Initiative’s Keep it Connected, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, RGG Teton Valley Conservation Fund, Cross Charitable Foundation, The Kendeda Fund, Ron Rope Conservation Fund, and a contribution from the landowner, and was made possible through a partnership with Jackson Hole Land Trust.
“Wyoming NRCS is pleased to continue our partnership with Teton Regional Land Trust and our Teton County landowners in an effort to conserve our state’s agricultural heritage, wildlife, and scenic lands. NRCS takes great pride in assisting Wyoming landowners and our partners with enrolling eligible working lands into Agricultural Land Easements, thereby protecting crucial habitats for generations to come,” explained Jackie Byam, Wyoming NRCS State Conservationist.
More Information
To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.
For more than 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.
