Twenty-five years ago, the inspiration for the Teton Valley Land Trust came from a small group of community members who recognized their cherished landscapes were at risk – and if these landscapes were lost, the unique agricultural character, the vibrant wildlife populations and the incredible scenic beauty enjoyed by residents and visitors alike would be a distant memory. Early efforts concentrated on protecting critical habitat and productive farms and ranches in Teton Valley. The first project, completed in 1995, involved protecting a property near the confluence of Teton Creek with the Teton River.
Since those first days, the Land Trust quickly expanded protection efforts to include six Eastern Idaho counties (Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, and Teton) and portions of Teton County, Wyoming, and also merged with Fremont Heritage Trust. This expansion resulted in both an opportunity for a landscape scale conservation impact, as well as a name change. Since then, the Teton Regional Land Trust has grown into a mature, professional, accredited organization that has worked with hundreds of landowners, their families and conservation partners to protect more than 33,000 acres.
By working with willing landowners, the Land Trust has become a valued and trusted community institution. We have demonstrated strong leadership, as well as a voluntary and financially efficient approach to land protection.
TRLT celebrates 25th anniversary!
- TRLT received reaccreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
- Joselin Matkins hired as Executive Director
- 32,400 cumulative acres are protected
- 622 acres protected in Fremont County
- 180 acres protected along Spring Creek in Teton County
- 58 acres protected along Teton Creek
- Henry Winterfield Family protects 240 acres atop the Pine Creek Bench in Swan Valley
- Conservation Easement on iconic property in Teton Canyon donated by Frank and Maryann Russo.
- Chuck and Judy Shepard set up a charitable gift annuity to benefit TRLT
- Gay Gilbert and Richard Grundler leave planned gifts to TRLT to be used for conservation efforts.
- Executive Director, Chet Work resigns from TRLT
- 32,260 cumulative acres are protected
- 30,000 protected acres milestone is reached
- Zollinger Family protects 622 acres in Fremont County
- TRLT partners with ID Fish and Game, WY Wetlands Society, Trumpeter Swan Society and US Fish and
Wildlife Service to increase nesting trumpeter swans in the Yellowstone Region and specifically Teton Valley. - Erickson family conserves 814 acres along the Snake River
- 265 Acres protected on the Henry’s Fork
- 31,531 cumulative acres are protected.
- Delbert and June Winterfeld protect 160 acres on the Pine Creek Bench. With this addition, 46% of the
private ground on the bench overlooking the South Fork is protected - South Fork Conservation Partnership (TRLT, the BLM, the Conservation Fund and the Nature
Conservancy) receives national award for conservation efforts along the South Fork of the Snake River - Three Forks Ranch conserved reaching a 10,000 acre milestone in Teton Valley
- Nancy Hamill Winter receives Ed Hill Award
- 29,830 cumulative acres are protected
- TRLT is honored by the Public Lands Foundation (PLF) with a Landscape Stewardship award
- Third generation Koon family conserves land along the South Fork keeping the land in their family
- Three additional conservation easements completed in 2011
- 29,275 cumulative acres are protected
- TRLT celebrates 20 year anniversary
- Woods Creek Fen dedication honoring longtime Valley icon Fred Mugler for his support in Teton Valley
and the Woods Creek Fen Outdoor Classroom. The viewing platform is dedicated to former Land Trust
employee and Teton Valley legend, Wray Landon, IV - Robert Cavallaro receives Ed Hill Award
- Chet Work hired as Executive Director
- 28,914 cumulative acres are protected
- TRLT becomes the first land trust in ID to become Nationally Accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission
- Breckenridge Family protects 198 acres along the Teton River
- Jeff Klausmann receives Ed Hill award
- 125 Conservation Easements to date
- 26,819 cumulative acres are protected
- 25,000 protected acres milestone is reached
- Executive Director, Michael Whitfield resigns from TRLT
- Kiosk for public created on Six Springs Ranch
- Hal K. Swenson Natural Resources Conservation Service receives Ed Hill award
- 25,666 cumulative acres are protected
- Staff, partners, and many volunteers advanced 8 restoration projects
- TRLT coordinates with Henry’s Fork Foundation to host day long education programs for fifth grade students in Fremont County
- US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lower Snake River Office receives Ed Hill Award
- 24,842 cumulative acres are protected
- TRLT hosts Conservation Planning Seminar in Teton Basin
- Fred Mugler, cultural icon, leaves TRLT a legacy gift for the “protection, restoration, and stewardship of land in Teton Valley”
- Hollingshead Homestead on Mohr family conservation easement listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative and Bonneville Power Administration receive Ed Hill Award
- 23,134 cumulative acres are protected
- 20,000 protected acres milestone is achieved
- TRLT celebrates 15th anniversary
- TRLT projects conserve 33 miles of river corridor, nearly 5,000 wetland acres and 15,700 acres of working farms and ranches in the Upper Snake River Watershed
- The Conservation Fund (TCF) and TCF’s Mark Elsbree receive Ed Hill Award
- 10 staff members
- TRLT has helped 76 families complete 93 projects to date
- 20,289 cumulative acres are protected
- Ecological Monitoring Program begins to track effect of TRLT conservation work
- Major restoration projects completed on Teton Creek and Teton River
- John and Sheila Nedrow received Ed Hill Award
- 19,721 cumulative acres are protected
- TRLT restores major spring creek and wetland complexes in Warm Creek and Foster’s Slough in Teton Valley
- Jim and Treva Dewey receive Ed Hill Award
- 8 staff members
- 17,588 cumulative acres are protected
- First North American wetland grant received to protect and restore lands along the Henry’s Fork
- John and Sheila Nedrow complete Idaho’s first farmland protection project
- TRLT recipient of the John Nagel Award from the Intermountain West Joint Venture for commitment to wetland conservation
- Ed Hill Award goes to Boyd and Jill Smith
- 13,918 cumulative acres protected
- 10,000 protected acres milestone is reached
- TRLT receives first Farm and Ranch Lands Protection grant in ID to protect 680 acres of prime farmland along the Henry’s Fork
- A record 14 conservation easements completed and one conservation land purchase completed
- Ed Hill Award goes to North American Wildlife Wetlands Conservation Council
- 12,705 cumulative acres protected
- TRLT hosts Teton River community forum and workshops to discuss water quality and fisheries in the Teton River
- Bureau of Land Management awarded Ed Hill Award
- David and Linda Eckhoff donate a 40 acre property on the bench north of Packsaddle Creek in Teton Valley to TRLT
- TRLT celebrates 10 year anniversary and creates a strategic plan and renewed vision of the mission and guiding principles of TRLT to take them to 2005
- 5 staff members
- 9,435 cumulative acres are protected
- Henry’s Fork Ag Corridors Project initiated to protect vital open spaces along the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River
- Lew Mithun donates conservation easement protecting 347 acres at Six Springs Ranch, the future site of the TRLT office
- 12 easements protecting 1,698 acres with another 85 acres protected through donation and title transfer
- Easement tours conducted in Teton and Fremont counties to show community members the public benefit of conserving land
- Seely Family awarded Ed Hill award
- TRLT awarded its first $1 million dollar grant from North American Wetlands Conservation Council for Teton Basin
- 7,697 cumulative acres are protected to date
- Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) is formed to encompass the entire Upper Snake River Watershed, including six counties and a small portion of Wyoming
- 5,000 protected acres milestone is reached
- The first Madison County conservation easement is completed by the Archibald family
- Lew Mithun awarded Ed Hill award
- TRLT takes up residence at Six Springs Ranch, just south of Driggs
- 1,432 acres protected in 1998 with 8 conservation easements
- 6,082 cumulative acres are protected
- First discussions on developing a regional land trust took place with TVLT Board and Fremont Heritage Trust Board
- Kruse Family signs first conservation easement in Bonneville County
- Taste of the Tetons is created where local establishments provided tastes of their specialties. 21 businesses participated.
- Henry’s Fork Watershed Council awarded Ed Hill Award
- 3 staff members
- 4,557 cumulative acres are protected
- Lee and Seely families donate first conservation easement in Fremont County
- 80 acres of forested property on Drake Creek in Teton Valley is protected
- Goble Family signs first conservation easement in Clark County
- Woods Creek Fen was purchased by TVLT funded by local donors to provide an educational field station for local students and adults
- Jo Ann Kay awarded Ed Hill award
- 3,232 cumulative acres are protected
- Administration of Land Trust is redefined with greater board involvement. Board Committees are formed
- Focus on education and outreach gains momentum
- 1st Conservation easement signed with Lew Mithun on Teton Creek
- 2 staff members
- Steve Ray awarded Ed Hill award
- 300 cumulative acres are protected
- TVLT creates a partnership with Idaho Department of Fish and Game & the Natural Resources Conservation Service for cooperative conservation work
- Stories from the Land with Teton Valley old-timers sharing their memories began
- First strategic planning is completed
- Dale Breckenridge awarded Ed Hill Award
- Summer picnic recognizes families who have been in Teton Valley for 100+ years
- Winter series of monthly wildlife seminars started
- Summer series of fieldtrips began and a program for 5th grade students was started
- Michael Whitfield becomes Executive Director
- Dick Clark is awarded Ed Hill Award
- First Executive Director, Gretchen Notzold hired
- First TVLT newsletter published
- Ed Hill Conservation Award created and is awarded to Ed Hill
- TVLT’s Wildlife Project started
- Debbie McGregor hired as Executive Director
- Founding Board of Directors formed at Little Max’s Café in Tetonia
- Teton Valley Land Trust (TVLT) was officially incorporated on August 20, 1990
- First member meeting held at Teton Ridge Ranch
- First annual summer picnic held at Ed Hill Ranch on the Teton River
- Initial funding sought to hire first Executive Director
“Most importantly, the easement enables my family to save a natural resource and cultural heritage from development pressures. The Kruses are still able to own and enjoy the land which has been in my family for four generations. For this, I am truly grateful.”
– Natalie Kruse
Connect with Us
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 247
Driggs, ID 83422
Physical Address
1520 S. 500 W.
Driggs, ID 83422
208-354-8939
info@tetonlandtrust.org
