Driggs, ID (September 22, 2022) – Eastern Idaho native and conservation leader Kim Trotter has been appointed Executive Director of Teton Regional Land Trust, whose mission is to conserve working farms and ranches, fish and wildlife habitat, and scenic open spaces in eastern Idaho for this and future generations.
For nearly three decades, Trotter has dedicated her career to conserving agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and sustainable communities in the Northern Rockies. Her extensive background includes biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, wildlife and large landscape ecology, land and water transactions, and ecological connectivity and restoration.
Trotter’s passion for protecting the area’s natural and agricultural resources dates back to her early career experience negotiating many of eastern Idaho’s early conservation easements as a Land Protection Specialist with Teton Regional Land Trust. This included safeguarding miles of habitat along the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and procuring Idaho’s first Farm and Ranchland Protection Program grant to work with private landowners in the Sand Creek wildlife corridor.
“Twenty-three years ago, Kim started with the Land Trust as an intern and then continued as a Land Protection Specialist,” said Arantza Zabala, President of the Teton Regional Land Trust Board of Directors. “We are so excited to have one of our own come back to lead the organization.”
Trotter’s recent experience includes serving as U.S. Program Director for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), where she led collaborative efforts to reconnect wildlife habitat through large landscape conservation. These projects included building wildlife-friendly roads and fences, increasing access to human-wildlife conflict reduction tools and programs, safeguarding key private lands, and ensuring the long-term protection of public lands.
Previously, she was Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Teton Valley, providing financial and strategic support to more than 50 local nonprofit organizations. She has also served as the Director of Trout Unlimited’s Idaho Water Project, working with landowners, water users, and state and federal agencies to promote protection and restoration of Idaho’s native and wild fisheries. During her tenure, she was appointed by Governor Otter to represent fish and wildlife interests on a committee tasked to resolve water shortages associated with the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer in southern Idaho.
“The work of the Teton Regional Land Trust is essential in order to preserve the natural landscapes and agricultural character of our communities in eastern Idaho,” Trotter said. “The mission has always been dear to me, and I’m excited to continue to strategically protect this unique ecosystem and lead the Land
Trust forward.”
Trotter has presented regionally and internationally on wildlife and large landscape conservation, endangered species protection and recovery, and conservation partnerships. In 2019, she co-authored a chapter on the environmental politics and policy of Western public lands. Through her work to restore bull trout in central Idaho, she received the Forest Service’s most prestigious acknowledgement for partnership, the “Rise to the Future” award. For the last nine years, she served as a volunteer board member with the Idaho Conservation League. And in August, she and her family completed a year-long journey around the US and western Canada.
Trotter received her Master of Environmental Management in resource ecology from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Puget Sound.
She assumed her responsibilities as Executive Director of Teton Regional Land Trust on September 22, 2022.
Since 1990, Teton Regional Land Trust has worked with hundreds of conservation organizations and landowners to protect nearly 40,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat and working lands in eastern Idaho, including migration corridors for large mammals, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawning areas and tributaries, wetlands and critical bird habitat, and agricultural lands.
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Teton Regional Land Trust partners with landowners to conserve over a mile of creek frontage along Bitch Creek
Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) and the Fosdick family recently completed a 183-acre conservation easement that protects over a mile of frontage along Bitch Creek in Fremont County, Idaho just north of the Teton County border. This property borders a conservation easement on the south side of the creek that the Fosdicks placed under easement with the Land Trust in 2005, resulting in both sides of Bitch Creek being protected in perpetuity along this stretch. Both easements have been donated by the Fosdicks. “Since coming to Teton Valley in 1988 we knew that this was a place that we wanted to be a part of and preserve,” said Debbie Fosdick. “To have a conservation easement in place to protect the property, waters, and wildlife corridors gives us the assurance that this protection is in place. With the possibility of increasing development, David and I knew that putting the additional acreage located in Fremont County was important. To have both sides of that part of the Bitch Creek corridor in a conservation easement would help ensure preservation of what we both value. Hopefully, other landowners might join us.”
The Land Trust would like to recognize the Heart of the Rockies Initiative and Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation for providing funding support for this project.
Several factors led to this property having significant value as a conservation easement. In addition to bordering the Fosdicks’ first easement, it also lies in close proximity to other conserved private and public lands to the west and south. Part of the property is dry farmed in barley, lending it agricultural value. The land also has scenic value, as its beautiful terrain, a combination of rolling hills and canyon walls, can be viewed from the Bitch Creek bridge on Highway 32.
A combination of various ecological features form key habitat for many species. Vegetation along the steep canyon slopes includes dense conifer and juniper, while the rolling terrain contains a mixture of sagebrush, bitterbrush, aspen stringers, and grasslands. These vegetative communities provide invaluable open space for migrating big game including moose, white-tailed deer and mule deer. Mule deer migrating west over the Teton Mountains into Idaho specifically rely on this area along Bitch Creek for migration and wintering habitat. Many raptor species such as Bald and Golden Eagle, as well as multiple bat species utilize the rocky canyon walls that span the edge of the property leading down to the creek. The presence of multiple grouse leks in the area indicates that the property is a breeding ground for Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Finally, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Bitch Creek will benefit from the protection of this property.
“We are grateful to the landowners for generously conserving over a mile of both sides of the Bitch Creek canyon, protecting the area not only for wildlife and agriculture, but also for spectacular scenic views,” said Land Protection Specialist Renee Hiebert.
“The Teton Regional Land Trust has been so professional, so helpful, and tireless in making this second easement happen,” said the Fosdicks. “We cannot say enough good things about their staff and efforts.”
Conservation of the Fosdick property builds on the protection of already conserved habitat and working lands that benefits both people and wildlife. For 32 years, the Land Trust has worked with partner organizations and willing landowners to protect nearly 40,000 acres in eastern Idaho through conservation easements and other voluntary conservation options.
5th Annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival
Celebrate the migration of Sandhill Cranes through Teton Valley at this annual event. This week-long festival will feature so many fun events!
In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild
Piano player Hunter Noack will expertly play to his audience while the music is transmitted to the concert-goers via wireless headphones.
Teton Regional Land Trust Names Kim Trotter as Executive Director
Driggs, ID (September 22, 2022) – Eastern Idaho native and conservation leader Kim Trotter has been appointed Executive Director of Teton Regional Land Trust, whose mission is to conserve working farms and ranches, fish and wildlife habitat, and scenic open spaces in eastern Idaho for this and future generations.
For nearly three decades, Trotter has dedicated her career to conserving agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and sustainable communities in the Northern Rockies. Her extensive background includes biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, wildlife and large landscape ecology, land and water transactions, and ecological connectivity and restoration.
Trotter’s passion for protecting the area’s natural and agricultural resources dates back to her early career experience negotiating many of eastern Idaho’s early conservation easements as a Land Protection Specialist with Teton Regional Land Trust. This included safeguarding miles of habitat along the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and procuring Idaho’s first Farm and Ranchland Protection Program grant to work with private landowners in the Sand Creek wildlife corridor.
“Twenty-three years ago, Kim started with the Land Trust as an intern and then continued as a Land Protection Specialist,” said Arantza Zabala, President of the Teton Regional Land Trust Board of Directors. “We are so excited to have one of our own come back to lead the organization.”
Trotter’s recent experience includes serving as U.S. Program Director for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), where she led collaborative efforts to reconnect wildlife habitat through large landscape conservation. These projects included building wildlife-friendly roads and fences, increasing access to human-wildlife conflict reduction tools and programs, safeguarding key private lands, and ensuring the long-term protection of public lands.
Previously, she was Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Teton Valley, providing financial and strategic support to more than 50 local nonprofit organizations. She has also served as the Director of Trout Unlimited’s Idaho Water Project, working with landowners, water users, and state and federal agencies to promote protection and restoration of Idaho’s native and wild fisheries. During her tenure, she was appointed by Governor Otter to represent fish and wildlife interests on a committee tasked to resolve water shortages associated with the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer in southern Idaho.
“The work of the Teton Regional Land Trust is essential in order to preserve the natural landscapes and agricultural character of our communities in eastern Idaho,” Trotter said. “The mission has always been dear to me, and I’m excited to continue to strategically protect this unique ecosystem and lead the Land
Trust forward.”
Trotter has presented regionally and internationally on wildlife and large landscape conservation, endangered species protection and recovery, and conservation partnerships. In 2019, she co-authored a chapter on the environmental politics and policy of Western public lands. Through her work to restore bull trout in central Idaho, she received the Forest Service’s most prestigious acknowledgement for partnership, the “Rise to the Future” award. For the last nine years, she served as a volunteer board member with the Idaho Conservation League. And in August, she and her family completed a year-long journey around the US and western Canada.
Trotter received her Master of Environmental Management in resource ecology from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Puget Sound.
She assumed her responsibilities as Executive Director of Teton Regional Land Trust on September 22, 2022.
Since 1990, Teton Regional Land Trust has worked with hundreds of conservation organizations and landowners to protect nearly 40,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat and working lands in eastern Idaho, including migration corridors for large mammals, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawning areas and tributaries, wetlands and critical bird habitat, and agricultural lands.
Land Trust Unveils the Public Phase of the Legacy of Land Campaign with the Announcement of a Capstone Gift
Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) is overjoyed to announce that the Hamill Family Foundation has shown unprecedented support and commitment to the natural resources, conservation and agricultural heritage in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem through a $1,250,000 gift to the Legacy of Land campaign.
In 2018, faced with a growing interest by landowners in conservation easements on lands deserving of protection in the Upper Snake River watershed and increased project costs, TRLT’s Board of Directors declared its first-ever capital campaign, designated the “Legacy of Land” campaign, with a goal of raising $10 million dollars. The Legacy of Land funds are being raised for three purposes: conservation of wildlife habitat, open spaces, ranchland and farmland; support of long-term stewardship of these lands; and organizational sustainability.
“Teton and Swan Valleys and the Island Park area are under tremendous development pressure that removes land from agricultural production, wildlife habitat and migration corridors. Our work area encompasses one of the largest intact ecosystems in the northern hemisphere. The Land Trust has worked for over 30 years to preserve the habitat, migrations corridors, agricultural heritage and magnificent viewscapes that we all love and appreciate. Our Legacy of Land campaign is needed to accelerate our work and enable us to be even more effective,” said Arantza Zabala, TRLT board president.
The announcement of this capstone gift and the public phase of the Legacy of Land campaign follows four years of successful private fundraising thanks to many generous donors. The Hamill Family Foundation gift does come with a match challenge. Teton Regional Land Trust will need to raise an additional $250,000 of support during 2022 in order to get the final $250,000 of their gift. Each gift received in 2022, up to a total of $250,000, will be matched 1:1 by the Hamill Family Foundation gift.
Nancy Hamill Winter explains, “Although a ‘prairie girl’ from Illinois, the Tetons have deeply impacted me since childhood. Four generations of the Hamill family owe a great deal of our appreciation for the natural environment to this spectacular area of the earth. Our support for the Teton Regional Land Trust reflects deep confidence in its staff and volunteers who are committed to preserving this spellbinding landscape in which wildlife and people thrive. We hope that the entire community will join the Hamill Family Foundation supporting the future success of the Land Trust.”
“We are so grateful and excited, that despite a global pandemic, our private donors have been so very generous. Our success so far is a result of truly sacrificial gifts given to this campaign in response to the urgency of this work and the effectiveness of TRLT as an organization. The Hamill family, Joan and Corwith “Corky” Hamill along with their children and grandchildren, have a legacy of protecting wilderness areas and promoting stewardship of the environment. This gift from the Hamill Family Foundation honors that family legacy and invites our community to join in this vital work. I am so humbled by the exceptional generosity of the Hamill Family Foundation,” said Robin Anderson, Legacy of Land campaign committee chair. “The matching grant allows our donors to double the effectiveness of their gift. We invite our friends and supporters to help us meet the generous match and invest in the future of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by donating to the Legacy of Land campaign.”
To support the Legacy of Land campaign visit tetonlandtrust.org and click on Support. Donations can also be mailed to Teton Regional Land Trust, P.O. Box 247, Driggs, ID 83422. For more information regarding Teton Regional Land Trust’s work in eastern Idaho and about the Legacy of Land campaign, please visit tetonlandtrust.org or contact TRLT’s Development Director, Jeske Gräve at jeske@tetonlandtrust.org.
Since 1990, the Land Trust has been able to protect nearly 40,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat and working lands in eastern Idaho, including migration corridors for large mammals, native Yellowstone cutthroat trout spawning areas and tributaries, wetlands and critical bird habitat, and agricultural lands.