Homesteading Family leaves Legacy Along the South Fork – Koon Family Story

(December 17, 2020) When a family homesteads a property and is able to pass the land down to future generations, the ties to the land are strong.  And when the land lies along the beautiful banks of the South Fork of the Snake River, the motivation to conserve the land can be even stronger.  This was the case with the Koon Family.

Jack E. Koon and his son Jack Lee contacted the Teton Regional Land Trust in the early 2000s.  With such a stunning piece of land along the South Fork, they’d received vast interest over the years from realtors looking to buy and develop their family property.  Although they could have used the money, they did not want to part with the land.  Jack E.’s grandfather had homesteaded the property in 1906.  He built a sod house on the land for his family and built granaries for his crops. He was able to keep enough of the ground intact to eventually pass it down to his grandson, Jack E. Koon.  Jack E. and his wife raised a family on the land and had fond memories of fishing and camping, especially at their favorite fishing hole on Bannock Jim Slough.  Jack Lee shared stories about growing up on the property and how he did not want to let it go.  The family was very proud of having held onto it during the Depression and during the Teton Dam collapse and flood; they all had strong family connections to the place.  Jack Lee said that for about 15 years, he kept his father from selling the property during hard financial times.  Jack Lee wanted the land to be a legacy to his father and his family.  He reiterated that the family had worked very hard to hang on to this land and tried to be good stewards; he wanted to see that the hard work paid off and was appreciated.  Jack E. and his son Jack Lee agreed to conserve their land in 2010 – they conserved nearly 200 acres.  And indeed, they were good stewards.  They battled weeds with annual weed control parties with the Land Trust and neighbors. They conserved the land’s South Fork river frontage and cattle pasture, as well as habitat for one of the strongest breeding areas for nesting Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, prolific songbirds, rare orchids, and native trout.  And while Jack E.’s health was not conducive to joining annual Land Trust visits, his son Jack Lee always took time out of his busy schedule from his work at the post office to join the staff to share a proud walk on his land.

In recent years, the annual Land Trust visit would include Jack Lee’s aunt, Carol Koon; Carol is the only living sister-in-law of Jack E. Koon’s family. One of Carol’s favorite things to do was ride with Jack Lee in his pick-up to see what she could see on the ride down to the river and across hers and Jack Lee’s properties, she said “We would always see a few deer, either white-tailed or mule deer; quite often we would see a moose or two, and we would see many Bald Eagles and Blue Herons. Depending on the time of year we would see pheasants, ducks, and geese.” Carol reflects on her ties to the land and family, after moving to Idaho in September 2015, and writes: “The first year I stayed with my niece, Anita, mid-August through mid-December 2015. Each day I was there I looked across Anita’s on to my property and thought “one day I am going to have my own home right over there’; I could just imagine my home over there just like my husband Bill and I planned. The second-year I rented, brother-in-law, Bob’s trailer. I planned weekend dinners so I could get acquainted with different family members. My husband Bill was a professional chef and together for 30 years we cooked in Colorado, Arizona, and California. Bill passed away on October 23, 1996.  After Bill passed, I homeschooled our grandsons, Justis and Radigan, from pre-school through high school. I started making plans to move to Idaho in 2015. After moving to Idaho, I realized that I was not going to be able to put a home on my property and wanted to leave the property to my two grandsons, Justis and Radigan. I love this beautiful property.”

Jack E. passed away in 2018 not long after his 90th birthday. Jack Lee (son of Jack E.) passed away on December 17, 2019, in his early 60s, leaving a legacy not only for his father; but, for his sister Doris M. Hansen and their family.

Jack Lee and Jack E. Koon signing their conservation easement in 2010.

Overall, the family conserved approximately 3/4 mile of South Fork riverfront as well as Bannock Jim Slough at the confluence of two iconic rivers; the South Fork and the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, which is home to one of the most robust cottonwood galleries left in North America. The cottonwood canopy forest, including wetlands and upland habitat within the South Fork and lower Henry’s Fork river corridors, is one of the most unique and biologically diverse ecosystems in Idaho and is a stronghold for endangered Yellow-billed Cuckoo. The wetlands of this area are the first major stopover for waterbirds migrating north of the Great Salt Lake, providing critical resting and foraging areas for a half-million waterfowl and several hundred thousand other waterbird species.

Thank you, Koon Family, for your perseverance and vision to conserve this remarkable and irreplaceable landscape. We appreciate your legacy.

 

 

 

Teton Regional Land Trust celebrates 30 years

By Julia Tellman, Teton Valley News

(August 19, 2020) The Teton Regional Land Trust, founded in August of 1990, now oversees 36,400 acres of land in conservation easements split among 132 landowners in its six-county eastern Idaho service area (with some spill-over into neighboring states). But Michael Whitfield, a founding member of the nonprofit who also served as executive director for 17 years, remembers closing on the very first easement.

It took almost five years.

“Land trusts were not a well-known concept back then,” Whitfield said. “I went to a presentation in Jackson put on by the High Country News in ’88 and it was the first I’d heard of land trusts.”

At the turn of the decade, there was a real estate boom and the valley was in the throes of land use planning controversy (some things never change). Whitfield and other community members held sessions at which people defined the qualities that made Teton Valley special. The Teton River and its surrounding wetlands and tributaries were at the top of the list. The TRLT started small, originally known as the Teton Valley Land Trust.

“Landowners were pretty apprehensive about easements,” Whitfield remembered. “It’s a huge commitment to leave that legacy in place forever.”

Finally, in January of 1995, TRLT signed an easement on a piece of property on Teton Creek, the culmination of “many deliberate and intense conversations over a kitchen table,” as Whitfield put it.

“Sometimes we’d engage with a family for ten years before they decided on that path,” he continued. “Then they’d become ambassadors for conservation easements—people would watch them to see how it went.”

Whitfield said that building those life-long relationships has been his favorite part about the land trust. He remembers visiting property along the Snake River, making exciting waterfowl discoveries on easements, and giving farmers the guarantee that their land would never be developed.

The land trust’s earliest easements were all donated, meaning the owners protected the land in exchange for tax incentives. Now in the majority of projects, the land trust buys the development rights or buys the land outright.

“It’s always incentive-based,” explained current TRLT executive director Joselin Matkins. “We’re not asking people to give their greatest asset away just for the public good.”

As the number of properties overseen by TRLT increases, the organization splits its time and resources between pursuing new land and maintaining existing projects.

“We find that it usually takes us twice as much time and energy as we expect to ensure landowners are meeting the terms of their perpetual contract,” Matkins said.

While Whitfield and Matkins don’t view any one project as the pinnacle of TRLT’s accomplishments, they both feel that the Six Springs Ranch, where the land trust office is located, is representative of the bigger picture of Teton Valley conservation. The ranch, a collection of three easements, encompasses pasture that the nonprofit leases for grazing, several Teton River tributaries, rich wildlife habitat, and one of the most productive cutthroat trout spawning areas in the valley.

“I’m always amazed that over half the river corridor and its wetlands are protected, through 70 different owners,” Matkins said. “That speaks to the landscape-scale impact on the protection of a resource, and to the founders’ focus on the most important resources in the region.”

In addition to its work in Teton Valley, TRLT also has projects all along the South Fork and Henry’s Fork of the Snake River and in Island Park. Future regional projects include the Tex Creek area east of Idaho Falls and the High Divide west of Island Park. Both of those areas are essential winter range for ungulates and key to maintaining the connectivity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

“We’re sitting in one of the largest intact ecosystems left in the world, and we need to strike that balance and have a functional landscape with a whole suite of species still living here, and pass on the legacy of this iconic place,” Matkins said.

This August to celebrate the 30th anniversary, TRLT had hoped to hold a Taste of the Tetons, a popular culinary event that began in 1997, but that celebration will have to be postponed until next year. Instead, TRLT will hold a week-long virtual event starting on Aug. 21, with a series of special volunteer and land steward awards as well as videos featuring stories from landowners. The week will culminate on Aug. 27 with an online auction and keynote speech from Mark Elsbree of the Conservation Fund.

Every year the TRLT gives the Ed Hill Conservation Award to a person or group that has made a significant conservation impact, and this year’s recipients are landowners.

“It’s a way to acknowledge that incredible vision and commitment to maintaining the integrity of the landscape, working lands, and wildlife habitat,” Matkins said.

It’s not only the landowners who support TRLT; Matkins said she’s always amazed by the people who don’t own land but make donations because they value the mission and the agency and nonprofit partners who join forces to effect change.

“It’s really meaningful to me how people come together to protect land. We work with so many people with different backgrounds and views, but a love of the land is a shared value that transcends short-term differences,” she said.

Teton Regional Land Trust Board President John Nedrow took some convincing, but now he’s a big believer in conservation easements – it saved his family farm

Story and Photos by Steve Stuebner

(November 7, 2020) Before knowing much about land trusts, Ashton farmer John Nedrow thought they were some kind of sinister force seeking to take over his farm and force landowners off their property.

“Back then, I thought they were the enemy,” Nedrow said in an interview on his alfalfa and malt-barley farm, which straddles the banks of the famed Henrys Fork River, a blue-ribbon trout stream. “I thought they wanted to turn this whole area into national park.”

But then one of Nedrow’s neighboring farmers, who was a Teton Regional Land Trust board member, shared some of the potential benefits of working with the land trust, including the possibility of getting a nice chunk of change to protect his farm from being subdivided or turned into a shopping mall.

The Nedrow family was struggling to make ends meet at the time, the late 1990s, he said. They had had several bad years in a row – poor commodity prices and poor yields. They had incurred some debt in the early 1980s to upgrade equipment and put in a new irrigation system. They were having a hard time covering the debt.

On top of that, the local Coors malt-barley plant had been recently shut down after being a dependable buyer of malt-barley, bringing a consistent source of revenue. “That really took the wind out of our sails,” Nedrow says.

Nedrow contacted the Teton Regional Land Trust staff to schedule an appointment and learn more.  His son, Greg, was home from the University of Idaho. They talked about the potential benefits of a conservation easement on a portion of their 840-acre farm, a portion on the banks of the Henrys Fork with primo fish and wildlife values.

Cash from the deal could help put his two sons through college, pay off his debts, and allow him to make some additional investments in the farm. A national Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) gave farmers the option to sell their development rights while allowing them to retain ownership.

The Teton Regional Land Trust put the deal together, and within 6-7 months, Nedrow received payment for the conservation easement. “It was exciting to get that check,” he says with a big grin. “It let us get our feet back under us. It let us keep going and make a decent living.”

Today, Nedrow is Board President of the Teton Regional Land Trust. His story is still as relevant as ever as Idaho’s oldest land trust celebrates 30 years of conservation in 2020.

In essence, the conservation purchase saved the Nedrow family farm, and the family rests easier now, knowing that their farm is safe in their hands and never will be subdivided. “It would take a man down to see something like this destroyed,” he says. “The river and the land are part of our family.”

The Nedrows signed the first conservation easement in 2002. They added a second easement in 2003 with an additional 300 acres under the North American Wetland Conservation Act grants program.

“I like that we continue to own our property, even though it’s protected by a conservation easement,” said Sheila Nedrow, John’s wife. “It’s an easement, so we need to protect those conservation values. We can’t destroy the habitat, but we’d never want to do that anyway. But still, it’s our land to manage and continue to produce for our farm.”

The Nedrows also continue to pay taxes on their farm property, continuing their contribution to the local tax base in Fremont County.

Over the last three decades, the Teton Regional Land Trust has protected over 36,000 acres of working lands and habitat in six counties in Eastern Idaho, including 53 miles of the Teton, South Fork of the Snake, and Henrys Fork rivers, involving 166 properties and 133 partner landowners. Their list of accomplishments is long and impressive as the state’s oldest land trust organization.

On a beautiful east Idaho evening at Nedrow’s farm, we saw ospreys flying overhead with a fresh catch in their talons, the Henrys Fork flowing by, kingfishers squawking in the bushes, a few anglers fly-fishing, and a prize sighting of four otters swimming by in the river.

“Whoa, I’ve never seen four otters at one time, that’s cool!” said Kate Nedrow, who is the wife of John’s son, Greg.

Greg and Kate are now helping run the Nedrow farm while operating a dry grain farm they have taken over from relatives in Kate’s family. Greg reflected, “putting the land under conservation easement started as a means to an end. Now almost two decades later, it is about the legacy we have created for our family and for the future.”

John Nedrow also became a believer in open space and conservation after serving on the Fremont Planning and Zoning Commission. He watched farmland get gobbled up by trophy homes and subdivisions. He noticed that growth doesn’t always pay its way, and local taxes often have to go up to cover the increased costs of roads and services to serve newcomers.

The 2007-2010 Great Recession slowed down the growth, but ever since then, development pressures have ramped up again, putting more open space and wildlife habitat at risk in this scenic corner of Idaho, which lies in the shadows of the Grand Teton and the Teton Mountain Range.

“The threat posed by development is very real. There’s no way we can compete with the money that developers pay for farm and ranch land,” says Joselin Matkins, Executive Director of the Teton Regional Land Trust. “At the same time, we know that ranchers and farmers in this region own working lands that provide value to our agricultural economy and wildlife habitat. Situated within the world-famous Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states, we have the opportunity to work with landowners to safeguard family farms and ranches and maintain the integrity of this iconic ecosystem including the world-renowned fisheries of the Henrys Fork and South Fork of the Snake Rivers We have to protect these really special places.”

In the Ashton farm country, that means protecting farms and open space and keeping working lands, working. Looking ahead, Nedrow wants to spread the word about the benefits of working with the Teton Regional Land Trust, telling his story to more farmers who might fear the same things he did back in the day. Matkins says that’s critical.  “Landowners need to know that their property rights are always protected, no matter what,” she says. “No one is ever going to force anyone to sign a conservation easement. It’s always up to them what they want to do with their property.

“When you work with a landowner for several years on protecting their property from development, you know that they have their own very personal reasons for realizing a lifetime dream and making an impact. It’s very rewarding and really cool at closing to see how much it means to them.”

Steve Stuebner is a Boise-based professional writer who specializes in conservation success stories. Funding for this story was made possible by the national Land Conservation Assistance Network www.landcan.org

Trumpeter Swans in Teton Valley

Trumpeter Swans are one of our region’s most iconic wildlife species, yet one of the rarest breeding birds in the west. They are among the largest waterfowl species in the world and exhibit highly cognizant behavior, have strong family bonds, and can live up to 25 years in the wild. Trumpeter Swans were once widespread throughout North America, but their populations neared extinction in the early 1900s. Thanks to conservation efforts, Trumpeter Swan populations have risen to fairly stable numbers throughout most of their range, although the Rocky Mountain Population remains a conservation concern, with a total of only 100 known nests throughout Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. Continued habitat loss, degradation, and disturbance at nest sites have led to perennially low nesting success for Trumpeter Swans within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), making this a major conservation priority for recovery.

The Rocky Mountain Population is comprised of two distinct population segments – a Canadian breeding segment with nesting occurring throughout British Columbia, Alberta, and Yukon Territory, and a U.S. breeding segment, with breeding centered around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. During winter, both breeding segments rely on ice-free waters and available leftover agricultural crops. Eastern Idaho supports an annual average of 50% to 75% of the entire Rocky Mountain Population in winter, with the Teton, Henry’s Fork, South Fork, and Main Snake Rivers serving as critical winter resources.

Teton Valley supports roughly 30,000 acres of wetlands but previously offered little breeding habitat for Trumpeters due to a lack of marsh type wetlands. During the past 30 years, Teton Valley has received very little non-winter use by resident Trumpeter Swans, primarily because there were very few suitable pond or marsh habitats.  However, Teton Valley serves as an optimal location for restoring Trumpeter Swan nesting due to its location proximal to other Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem nesting sites and results of strategic resource protection and enhancement.

Since 1990, Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) has worked with willing private landowners, the North American Wetland Conservation Council, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and other partners to conserve over 11,000 acres of important wildlife habitat, primarily along the Teton River corridor and its associated wetlands. In addition to protecting habitat from residential development via permanent conservation easements, the combined efforts of the aforementioned partners have restored and enhanced several thousand acres of wetlands, including the creation of high-quality marsh and shallow water pond habitats on easement-protected lands. The successes of our wetland protection and restoration program, combined with our strategic location, have created a unique opportunity to re-establish Trumpeter Swan nesting in Teton Valley in an effort to bolster the at-risk U.S. breeding segment, and secure the heritage of breeding Trumpeter Swans in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Conservation easements will help ensure that habitat quality can be maintained over time even if land ownership changes. Having suitable nesting and breeding habitat that is permanently protected will determine the successful return of a stable Trumpeter Swan population in the U.S.

In 2012, the Teton Valley Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project was formed by partners including TRLT, IDFG, USFWS, Intermountain Aquatics, and additional supporters and volunteers. The project is a long-term effort to re-establish Trumpeter Swan nesting in Teton Valley by releasing captive-bred Trumpeters onto protected wetlands in an attempt to trigger the swan’s instinct to bond with and return to their natal wetland and eventually breed, as well as by continuing strategic land protection efforts. Translocating captive-reared Trumpeter Swans to occupy a site that offers optimal habitat quality is a great opportunity but comes with its challenges. The strategy works to counteract the long time it takes for Trumpeters to colonize new breeding areas and to alleviate current threats to nesting success since habitat quality and levels of disturbance can be controlled. This strategy gives the released Trumpeters the best chance at nesting success and propagating nesting at other wetlands throughout the area. Translocations also serve to attract wild swans since released Trumpeters act as indicators of habitat quality, and work to subvert wild Trumpeter Swans instinct and conditioning to avoid levels of human disturbance (such as tractors, farming activity) that in reality pose no threat. This created an expansion of viable breeding site occupancy throughout a number of suitable wetland sites in Teton Valley and throughout the GYE.  Through diligent monitoring by TRLT staff, partners, and the public, the translocated Trumpeters have often been observed returning to their release sight with unmarked, wild Trumpeters and have exhibited early pair-bonding behaviors, marking major steps forward for nesting in Teton Valley.  The partnership held its sixth Trumpeter Swan release in Teton Valley this summer releasing six cygnets onto a protected wetland.

Our previously released Trumpeter Swans, as part of the Teton Valley Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project, wear green neck collars with white alphanumeric codes, but this year’s cygnets have a green leg band instead. Reported sightings from the community are a major part of the project. If you observe green-collared or green leg-banded swans in our region, please notify the Teton Regional Land Trust.  For more information or to support the project, please visit www.tetonlandtrust.org or contact Nicole Cyr via email at nicole@tetonlandtrust.org.

I had the privilege to see 5 Trumpeter Swan Cygnets that were released just a few days prior in the Teton Valley in Idaho. The goal is to place the Cygnets with a surrogate mother who will teach them to survive with the hope that the Swans will eventually return to the place that they learned to fly, to nest and have offspring of their own in the Teton Valley. It was a great experience, thanks to Tim (Brockish, Board Member) for inviting me.” – RH Miller

 

Photo (above) by Trish Boyd; Photo (on left) by Tom Vezo

Trumpeter Swans in Teton Valley

(October 12, 2020) Trumpeter Swans are one of our region’s most iconic birds and embody the extraordinary landscape we call home. Trumpeter Swans are the largest waterfowl species native to North America, and in addition to being visually magnificent, they exhibit highly cognizant behavior, form strong family bonds, and can live up to 25 years in the wild. In the Greater Yellowstone region, Trumpeters can be seen and heard near ponds, rivers, and streams year-round.

The Teton Basin Trumpeter Swan Restoration Project is a partnership between Teton Regional Land Trust, IDFG, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Intermountain Aquatics, and other local partners. The goal of the partnership is to restore Teton Basin’s population of nesting Trumpeter Swans and through that, conserve the ecology and natural heritage of nesting Trumpeter Swans in Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. To accomplish this goal, project partners are committed to a long-term effort involving releases of captive-bred Trumpeter Swans in Teton Basin in an effort to restore the population, in addition to continuing to conserve critical swan habitat. Since 2013, project partners have released 28 swans. One of the Trumpeters released in 2016, affectionately named R13, was spotted this summer in the Bechler area of Yellowstone National Park paired with a wild swan. Although the hope is that someday there will be nesting Trumpeters in Teton Valley, it is exciting to see them making a home anywhere in the Greater Yellowstone region.

We recently released six cygnets onto a protected wetland in Teton Valley and have been monitoring them for a month and have observed them bonding with a wild swan.  We would like to remind hunters to know your target. There is no hunting season for Trumpeter Swans in Idaho Trumpeter Swans are considerably larger than geese and adult swans have solid white wings and bodies. Young swans, called cygnets, are medium gray with a pale belly and wing lining.

Most of our released Trumpeter Swans are marked with large green neck collars with white alphanumeric codes, but this year’s released cygnets have a green leg band instead. If you observe green-collared or banded swans in our region, please notify the Teton Regional Land Trust.  For more information or to support the project, please visit www.tetonlandtrust.org or contact Nicole Cyr via email at nicole@tetonlandtrust.org.

Photo by Anna Kirkpatrick

Caribou-Targhee National Forest Gains Priority Inholding The protection of the Maytag-Teton Timbers property will ensure additional access to public lands and enhance wildlife habitat protection

DRIGGS, ID (September 29, 2020) —The U.S. Forest Service and The Conservation Fund
announce that approximately 960-acres of land located in a remote forested area in Teton
County, Idaho is now protected in perpetuity, thanks to a partnership that also includes the
Teton Regional Land Trust, supportive landowners at the Beartooth Group, Teton County
Commissioners, the Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD), and Idaho’s
Congressional delegation.

The Maytag-Teton Timbers property has been a top Forest Service priority for protection in the
Caribou-Targhee National Forest for several years. As a private inholding surrounded by public
lands, the parcel created navigational issues for outdoor enthusiasts interested in accessing the
national forest. The Forest Service’s acquisition of this property effectively helps consolidate the
area within the northern end of the Big Hole Mountain range, eliminates subdivision threats,
reduces wildland-urban interface fire concerns from the local community, and protects critical
wildlife habitat and watersheds. This conservation effort was made possible through funding
from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which was permanently and fully
funded by a new law enacted last month.

“The Maytag-Teton Timbers property is a prime example of LWCF working in a collaborative
way,” said Congressman Mike Simpson. “Engaging with the local community and ensuring
their needs were met, was critical to the success of this project. I applaud the U.S. Forest
Service and all the partners involved, for working diligently to accomplish this great project.
When the Great American Outdoors Act was signed into law last month, I said this bill is for
future generations. The Maytag-Teton Timbers property will achieve this goal by opening up
public access for Idahoans for centuries to come.”

With elevated views of the Tetons, a multitude of aspen groves and open meadows, the
potential for residential subdivision on this property was incredibly high. The acquisition
conserves open space, protects habitat from future development, mitigates wildfire risk, and
protects clean water for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and people. This parcel is rich with water
resources and encompasses stretches of Porcupine, Irene, Brown Bear, and Hillman Creeks, as
well as the upper reaches of Pack Saddle and Horseshoe Creeks.

“Protection of these critical riparian areas and headwaters stretches will ensure high-quality
water flows from the upper reaches of Pack Saddle and Horseshoe Creeks to their confluence
with the Teton River, a world-class, blue-ribbon trout fishery,” said Mel Bolling, Caribou-
Targhee National Forest Supervisor.

The conservation of this private inholding ensures the American people, including hikers,
hunters, equestrian riders, anglers, mountain bikers, snow sports enthusiasts, and others will be
able to use an additional 960-acres of public lands and eliminates future concerns about
possible trespass issues on the property.

When the property went up for sale in 2017, The Conservation Fund began working with
Beartooth Group and then stepped in to purchase the Maytag property in April 2020, allowing
the Forest Service the necessary time needed to acquire funding. The Teton Regional Land
Trust assisted The Conservation Fund in the effort to acquire, hold and ultimately transfer the
land to the Forest Service.

“Partnerships and collaboration go a long way in making these important conservation projects
viable,” said Mark Elsbree, Western Director and Senior Vice President at The
Conservation Fund. “Securing the Maytag property for a community that highly values its
public lands for wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities will have a lasting positive impact.”
“The Teton Regional Land Trust is happy to be a partner in this acquisition to incorporate the
private inholding in the Big Hole Mountains into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. This is a
great outcome for the public and wildlife in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem” stated Joselin
Matkins, the Land Trust’s Executive Director.

“It is our mission to restore, enhance and protect critical properties throughout the West – and
this transaction will be one of our proudest moments,” said Robert Keith, Founder and
Managing Principal of Beartooth Group. “We started working with the Teton Regional Land
Trust and The Conservation Fund before our acquisition in 2014 on how to make such an
outcome occur. After the demolition of a large and hazardous structure, clean-up associated with
abandoned coal mining operations and a sustainable timber operation to improve forest health,
The Conservation Fund made this goal a reality. It was truly a pleasure to be involved with this
Forest Service great group of partners in this wonderful transaction.”

“From my initial conversation with The Conservation Fund, and as a Board member with VARD,
I was beyond thrilled and honored to present to them the opportunity to preserve the Maytag
property,” said VARD Board Member Linda Unland. “Through the hard work of The
Conservation Fund, the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, and many others, the project is
coming to fruition. This is an exceptional shared legacy for the Teton Valley and generations to
come.”

About Caribou-Targhee National Forest
The Caribou-Targhee National Forest occupies over 3 million acres and stretches across
southeastern Idaho, from the Montana, Utah, and Wyoming borders. To the east, the Forest
borders Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the Bridger-Teton National
Forest. Most of the Caribou-Targhee is part of the 20-million acres Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem and is also home to the Curlew National Grassland. The spectacular scenery of the
Forest is easily reached from highways, byways, and back doors. The bond between forest and
community spans generations through family activities such as camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and riding off-highway vehicles. During the winter, the forest offers vast expanses of untracked powder.

About The Conservation Fund
At The Conservation Fund, we make conservation work for America. By creating solutions that
make environmental and economic sense, we are redefining conservation to demonstrate its
essential role in our future prosperity. Top-ranked for efficiency and effectiveness, we have
worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than eight million acres of land, including over
135,000 acres in Idaho. https://www.conservationfund.org

About Teton Regional Land Trust
Teton Regional Land Trust is a 501(c) (3) 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 more information, please call 208-354-8939 or visit our website at:
www.tetonlandtrust.org

About Valley Advocates for Responsible Development
Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD) is a Driggs, Idaho-based nonprofit with a
mission of promoting open spaces, wild places, and vibrant towns in Teton Valley. We promote
a synthesis of responsible development and sustainable use of rural and natural resources in
Teton Valley, a key sub-region of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that lies under 5 local
government jurisdictions and two US States. Since our founding in 2001, we have influenced
countless community planning decisions and have leveraged over $31 million toward
conservation and community development efforts.

Expanded Protection of the Spring Creek Wetland in Teton Valley

On Thursday, September 17, 2020, the Teton Regional Land Trust increased the protection of a large wetland complex at the head of Spring Creek, near Tetonia, and secured important habitat for Sandhill Cranes. Just upstream of the confluence of Spring Creek and North Leigh Creek, the Spring Creek Ranch is a mix of wetlands and spring creeks surrounded by sagebrush-covered hills. In 2015, the Land Trust purchased 180 acres adjacent to their Petzoldt Preserve, a small parcel protected for its wetland habitat in 2004. The property was purchased because of the valuable wetlands that provide habitat for five Sandhill Crane nests and important fall roosting habitat for staging Sandhill Cranes. The uplands also provide critical winter range for elk and moose.

The new conservation easement will add an additional 110 acres of conserved land to the existing 200 acres already protected and enhance habitat protection for native plants, fish, and wildlife including “Species of Greatest Conservation Need”  as outlined in the Idaho State Wildlife Action Plan including Ferruginous Hawk, Sandhill Crane, Northern Leopard Frog, Common Nighthawk, Trumpeter Swan, Short-eared Owl, and Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse.  “We are very excited to protect more important habitat in Teton Valley. This land is used year-round by wildlife including wintering elk and nesting and staging Sandhill Cranes in the summer and fall,” says Joselin Matkins, Teton Regional Land Trust Executive Director.

This marks the 81st conservation easement completed in Teton Valley in partnership with willing landowners and the Land Trust. It builds on the protection of over 11,000 acres of valley habitat and working lands that benefits both people and wildlife. For 30 years, and across eastern Idaho, the Land Trust has worked with partner organizations and willing landowners for the last thirty years to protect over 34,000 acres through conservation easements and other voluntary conservation options. A conservation easement is a legal agreement that allows for farming and ranching of properties as well as limited residential construction, but permanently restricts the amount and type of future development.

 

Sandhill Cranes in Teton Valley

(September 11, 2020) Teton Regional Land Trust leads the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative, which is a project focused on the protection of habitat for Sandhill Cranes. Sandhill Cranes are one of the most iconic species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and are especially effective drivers for conservation initiatives due to their status as an umbrella species. Each fall, Sandhills from around the Greater Yellowstone, including Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, congregate in large numbers in Teton Valley to build up the energy reserves needed for their long migration to their wintering grounds because of the valley’s unique alignment of wetland roosting habitat and farmland. As a result, the Valley hosts the largest pre-migration staging population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and one of the most important pre-migration staging areas for the Rocky Mountain Population of Sandhill Cranes.

The Sandhill Cranes of Teton Valley and the Greater Yellowstone Region are part of the Rocky Mountain Population which is about 20,000 strong. The majority of the population winters in New Mexico at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, but can also be found in other areas of the southwest and Mexico. During the spring, these Sandhills migrate north with many nesting in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This population is unique and distinct from the large population (over 500,000) of Lesser Sandhill Cranes that migrate along the Platte River in the central US.

In 2018, we started the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival in honor of the amazing Sandhill Cranes. Although the festival will be virtual this year, we will still celebrate the Sandhill Crane migration and the exceptional natural and agricultural resources of the Teton Valley and raise awareness about efforts to conserve critical habitat for cranes and other iconic species of the Greater Yellowstone.

The Teton Regional Land Trust has been working strategically to protect the wetland roosting habitat and partnering with landowners to provide grain in the Teton Valley. To date, we have protected over 80% of the documented crane roosts. Since 2016, we have also implemented our Grain for Cranes program that ensures food resources for staging cranes in close proximity to the protected wetlands by creating grain food plots to supplement the foraging resources of grain left over after harvest along the west bench of the Teton River. This alignment of resources is unique and irreplaceable. With development pressure increasing across the region, the farm fields that Sandhills rely on for food is becoming fragmented and disappearing, replaced by homes and subdivisions

While the Land Trust is proud of the permanent protection of staging habitat in Teton Valley, there is more work to be done if we want staging Sandhills to continue to return to the Teton Valley. Not only that, staging habitat is a limited resource across the region, so if we lose staging habitat in Teton Valley, we are risking losing nesting cranes across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This is because Sandhills nest near staging areas to ensure the ability to complete their annual cycle. If there are not sufficient staging resources in Teton Valley, we will likely see fewer and fewer Sandhills nesting in the region over time.

The Land Trust hopes that by raising awareness of this unique and important natural resource in the Teton Valley, our community will be inspired to help protect the habitat Sandhills need to persist. This is the inspiration behind the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival. As an umbrella species, protecting habitat for Sandhills protects habitat for a whole myriad of other wildlife that calls the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem their home. And it’s not just wildlife that benefits from the protection of staging habitat, by conserving farmland, we are also contributing to the sustainability of our region’s agricultural economy and ensuring open lands for the production of food.

You can learn more about staging Sandhill Cranes and the conservation efforts of the Teton Regional Land Trust by participating in the upcoming Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival. The festival highlights the connection between the natural world and the human spirit and celebrates nature through art. While this year’s festival has gone virtual, there are still many ways to participate.

Our virtual festival will be from September 14 to 19 and will include daily programming and themes related to Sandhill Cranes. This will be delivered through email, our Facebook page, and our website. One of the elements we are still able to include this year is the Crane Art Sculptures which have been beautifully decorated by artists and community members. You can view them in the Driggs City Building foyer in the Teton Arts Gallery and you can vote for your favorite to win the “People’s Choice” award on our website. If you want to own one of these works of art, you can bid on them in our Crane Fest auction along with additional crane themed artwork.

Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival Schedule:

Monday 9/14 – Welcome and Overview of the Festival

Tuesday 9/15 – Cranes in the Classroom presentation and program description

Wednesday 9/16 – Cranes in Culture, the historic and global context, poetry feature, and dance feature

Thursday 9/17 – Staging Cranes in Teton Valley Virtual Event

Friday 9/18 – Cranes and Art, last day to vote for the Crane Art Sculpture “People’s Choice” award

Saturday 9/19 – “People’s Choice” awards will be announced, last chance to bid on the auction until 6pm

If you are not signed up for our E-news and would like to receive the daily Crane Fest programs through email, sign up for E-news on our website (look for it on the top left of the front page).

 

2020 Tin Cup Challenge Op-Ed

One of my favorite things about living in Teton Valley is the Community Foundation of Teton Valley’s annual Tin Cup Challenge. The generosity of our community, the endless hours of volunteering, and the opportunity to learn about the incredible accomplishments of our valley’s nonprofits are energizing and inspiring. In fact, just the act of giving is good for our health. A Cleveland Clinic study found that the health benefits associated with giving include lower blood pressure, increased self-esteem, less depression, lower stress levels, a longer life, and greater happiness. Not only that, it is fun to help out!

It is remarkable that one in four households in Teton Valley give during Tin Cup and I am happy to be one of them. I take great pride in having been a Tin Cup Challenger for the past few years and appreciate the opportunity to positively impact all our community nonprofits. I also appreciate that I can give directly to individual organizations and support their unique missions. We are truly being tested through this unprecedented time and our community continues to show up for those that need a helping hand. I admire the swift and dedicated action many of our valley’s nonprofits have taken to continue to help our community members in need during the COVID crisis. Tin Cup is a true testament to the generosity of our community, and for those that are able to give during this challenging time, your gift is more important than ever.

I also believe that this time has shown us how much nature gives. From nourishing us with food and providing us with clean air and water, to keeping us physically and mentally healthy by providing opportunities to exercise and recharge when going out for a day in the woods or on the river, nature is critical to our well-being. By supporting organizations like the Land Trust, you can give back to nature, ensuring nature’s health, and thus our own health is safeguarded.

This summer, the Teton Regional Land Trust is celebrating its 30 Year Anniversary. I am so grateful for the dedicated community members that are compelled to give back to nature and founded the Land Trust to serve our community three decades ago! The impact of their vision is evident in the protection of over 11,000 acres of habitat, working farms and ranches, and open space in Teton Valley. Floating the river with iconic unobstructed views is in large part due to the work of the Land Trust in partnership with landowners, other non-profits, foundations, federal agencies, and YOU. As we look to the next 30 years, I hope you will give back to the land that sustains us through a Tin Cup gift to the Teton Regional Land Trust so that in another 30 years, the community looks back to us and are thankful for our efforts to give nature a chance to thrive. The 11,000 acres of conserved land in Teton Valley are protected into perpetuity and any acres added to that in the next 30 years and beyond will be too. Leave your own legacy not only today but also for future generations by supporting what makes our valley and our community such a unique place to live.

Joselin Matkins, Executive Director  of Teton Regional Land Trust

 

Photo: Joselin with her Mom, Carol Matkins, on a Mother’s Day float on the Teton River.

Get to know Aimee Babneau, the local artist behind our 30th Anniversary artwork.

Tell us about growing up in Idaho:

I was born in Pocatello, Idaho to parents who initially traveled from New Hampshire to visit family. My dad immediately fell in love with the vast landscape and chose to relocate. I’m forever grateful my parents made time to introduce my brother and me to skiing. I’ve been playing at Pebble Creek and Grand Targhee for over 30 years and the people I meet at the mountain have become family.

Did you always envision being an artist or is that something that developed later in life?  Tell us about the type of art you create:

 I’ve been an artist as long as I can remember. I had a drawing chosen in kindergarten to represent my school on a tee-shirt. So, I guess that counts as my first published work. These days, I search for new ways to draw, paint, and create artistically recycled goods (mittens from recycled wool). I’ve been honored to work with Grand Targhee on two Bluegrass Festival posters and painted for a handful of businesses, events, and publications around the region. I have trucker hats and greeting cards at retail locations in Teton Valley, Idaho Falls, and Jackson Hole. I’m currently writing public art proposals for mural projects.

What role does nature play in your daily life? How does it make its way into your art?

Nature plays a critical role in my life. I’m appreciative of the experiences I’ve had and continue to share with this community. I’m a music lover, outdoor enthusiast, and a mother from this place. I’ve been told that my art “represents our generation in the Tetons.” It’s quite possibly the best compliment I’ve ever received. While my work isn’t photorealistic, it does explore a combination of urban and rural influences. I spent 10 years in Pocatello and have a deep love of that community also.

Tell us about your most memorable art creation:

My most memorable piece of art I painted in 2004 and is titled Strength in Difference. It’s still in my possession on a 4×5’ canvas. It’s about accepting diversity, being resourceful, and helping your community. Every year that passes, the painting means more to me. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to part with it.

What is it that you are passionate about when it comes to protecting our region’s environment and wildlife?

I’ve seen the region change and stay the same in many ways throughout my life. On clear mornings you can see the Tetons from my childhood home in miles of potato and sugar beet fields west of Blackfoot, Idaho. These mountains are my center. This place will forever be my home. I think it’s important to find something you’re passionate about to help support your community. The idea that my work cheerfully celebrates this place and time makes me feel complete.

What do you hope that your two boys appreciate or learn about the value of nature?

I hope my children realize they can live a full life by treating their environment and other people with respect. I want them to listen with compassion and act with kindness.

We are very excited about the watercolor you made for our 30th anniversary – anything specific you would like to say about this piece?

I’m honored to have my work represent Teton Regional Land Trust and the work they do to keep our surroundings pristine.

For more information and to see Aimee’s artwork, check these out:

Website: ABabneauArt.com

Facebook: Aimee Babneau Art & Design

Instagram: @aimeebabneauart