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woodriverlandtrust
magine this: You are walking on aboardwalk over wetlands and throughwillows and trees and riparian wildflowersnear the Big Wood River. As you visit inthe early morning, you might see a moosewalking along the river, a beaver swim-ming in the shallows, or a heron wadingin the water. Red-winged blackbirds callfrom their grass perches.In an exciting project scheduled forthis fall, the Land Trust plans to con-struct a boardwalk at the restored CroyCreek Wetlands at the confluence of Croy Creek and the Big Wood River inHailey. Located at the south end of LionsPark, the boardwalk will provide low-impact public access and educational andrecreational opportunities close to town.Interpretive signage will be part of thedesign. The boardwalk will travel alongthe wetlands continuing to the DraperWood River Preserve, and will feature awheelchair-accessible viewing platformand sitting area. The loop will continueback as a trail along the Big Wood River.The Land Trust has long been associ-ated with restoration work along the BigWood River at Lions Park. In 2002, part-nering with the City of Hailey and others,the Land Trust cleaned up and mitigatedthe steep slope of the riverbank, diver-sified stream flow, and planted nativevegetation. The result was improved fishhabitat and safer public access to theriver.In July, 2008, the Land Trust againworked with the City of Hailey to restorethe Croy Creek Wetlands. With a grantfrom the Department of EnvironmentalQuality, the Land Trust removed a por-tion of Hailey’s former landfill to restorewetland and riparian habitat. Land Truststaff and volunteers then replanted the
Take A Walk On The Wild Side
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Go to our new website for news and other customized features: www.woodriverlandtrust.org
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he Wood River Land Trust is arespected organization here inBlaine County and across the state.Starting slowly, the Land Trust hasnow protected over 10,000 acres, hascreated programs that correspond with our values such as the TroutFriendly Lawn project, has won theconidence o landowners who arehappy to work with the Land Trust to create public access to the WoodRiver, such as the antastic HowardPreserve. I am so proud o the Boardand the sta o the Land Trust.
A 15th Anniversary NoteFrom State Representative Wendy Jaquet
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“In every walk withnature one receives farmore than he seeks.” — John MuirProtecting the heart of the valley...now and for the future.
summer 2009
who we are
“Congratulations to the Wood RiverLand Trust on its 15th Anniversary!”
t’s hard to believe how far the organization has comesince its inception. As a founding member and the firstboard chair, I remember when a group of us began meetingevery week in 1993 to explore the idea of starting a landtrust – what it is, how it functions. Each of us involved atthe beginning brought a different perspective to the table,whether it was experience, scientific knowledge, or justplain passion for the idea. We realized that a land trust wasneeded in this valley to preserve the local open space thatwas rapidly disappearing.In addition to our weekly meetings, public sessionswere conducted to introduce the idea to our local commu-nity. We also held roundtable discussions with employeesof Idaho Fish and Game, the Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management to listen to their suggestions and learnwhat they thought of our idea. The Jackson Hole LandTrust conservation director came to talk to us about startinga land trust and offered lessons about land conservation ina similar area.After getting input from the public, we agreed thatone of the most important things to do was build a strongfoundation for the organization. That meant incorporatingin 1994 and gaining 501(c) 3 non-profit designation the fol-lowing year. We knew a solid organizational structure wouldstrengthen our legitimacy with the public and landownersinterested in protecting their land. We also had to come upwith a name, create a logo, and produce marketing materialsthat would introduce the new land trust and the work wehoped to achieve. What a thrill it was to receive our first giftof land at Lake Creek from Sally Donart in 1996!I don’t know if our little group could ever have imaginedhow the Land Trust would grow and become such an impor-tant part of our community. Now, thanks to Scott’s leader-ship, an excellent staff and strong board, and the resultsthey’ve achieved so far, I think we can all understand why aland trust was needed in the Wood River Valley.
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Robyn Watson,Director o Development
We are pleased to announce that RobynWatson, formerly Major Gifts Officer,has been promoted to Director of Development. Robyn started with theLand Trust in 2006 and has a long back-ground in non-profit fundraising andevent coordination. She brings a posi-tive energy to her work and developsstrong relationships with our supporters.Her enthusiasm is contagious. “I movedto the Valley full time three years agoto take a position with the Land Trust. Not only do I believe deeply in thework we do but I am also so fortunate towork with a highly educated and expe-rienced staff and wonderfully supportivedonors.”
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Kathryn Goldman,Senior Project Coordinator
Kathryn started with the Land Trust in2005 after having worked for the IdahoConservation League. She is primar-ily focused on projects involving theBig Wood River—from Trout FriendlyLawns to the Croy Creek wetlands res-toration to planning for the boardwalkat Lions Park. She was named SeniorProject Coordinator in recognition of her hard work and her achievementsdeveloping complex partnerships to pro-tect and restore the Big Wood River.“The river changes every year and ourproject work moves in a similar rhythm.It’s never boring!”
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Sta News
Congratulations to Robyn (let) and Kathryn(right) or their promotions
how we began
A Letter From Molly Goodyear, FirstPresident o the Wood River Land TrustBoard o Directors
Land Trust FoundersMeet our Board
Megan Stevenson
he Land Trust is pleased to wel-come Megan to our Board of Directors. Megan is a life-long residentof the Wood River Valley and is pas-sionate about helping to preserve all theelements of the valley that have kepther here so long. She says that becauseof her parents’ conservation easementdonation to the Wood River Land Trust,“I learned first hand the value of pro-tecting open space and wildlife habitat.” Now, as a Wood River Land Trust boardmember, she is able to take an evenmore active role.After graduating from MontanaState University in Bozeman she returnedhome to work for her family’s business,Rocky Mountain Hardware. For the lastfive years Megan has spent the wintersski patrolling for Sun Valley Companyand working for Rocky MountainHardware in the summers. In her freetime she loves to travel and spend timein the mountains biking and skiing withher husband and two dogs.
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Summer Interns
Kyug Kh
is a graduate student atthe Bren School of EnvironmentalScience and Management at UC SantaBarbara specializing in ConservationPlanning and hopes to work in natu-ral resource management. Her manyinterests include environmental edu-cation, and she spent a year teachingEnglish to middle school children inSouth Korea.As our summer StewardshipIntern, Kyung stays busy monitoringLand Trust preserves and easements.
Jss Stadma
joins us as thefirst Conservation Project andCommunications Intern. Onceachieving a B.A. degree in Englishfrom the University of Connecticut,he made for Alaska to work as anaturalist and eventually a FisheriesTechnician with the AlaskaDepartment of Fish and Game. Jessemoved back to Connecticut to takeanother fisheries position before relo-cating to Portland, OR, where heworked and volunteered with localadvocacy groups.
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Jesse and Kyung suited up to pull weedsat the Croy Creek wetlandsThe Land Trust’s frst Strategic Planning Retreat in February, 1995.Rear: let to right, Henry Whiting, Shelly (Walker) Shoemaker, Mac Whiting,Mike Medberry, Paul Todd. Front: Carol Brown, Kent Pressman,Molly Goodyear, Paul Potters, and Pam Feld.
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A Note From Scott Boettger, ExecutiveDirector o the Wood River Land Trust:
hanks to the strongly held ideals, forward thinking, andhard work of Molly and the other founding board mem-bers, the Land Trust has grown in 15 years to become a leadingand trusted advocate for wildlife and open space conservationwith 10,319 acres protected to date. And our special projects,such as the Elkhorn Creek restoration work and removal of theBullion Bridge abutment in Hailey, continue to have a positiveimpact on our river and our community.I can promise that for the next 15 years the Land Trust willcontinue to be a results-oriented organization, uniquely local,striving to protect theplaces we all value andcherish in this wonderfulvalley. Please join me inthanking these originalvisionaries as well as thecountless donors and sup-porters throughout theyears who have made theLand Trust the successfulorganization it is today.Continuing to work to-gether, we will ensure thatthe future for our valley isindeed bright.
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Leslie and Jack HanksDick Hay Seeta Zieger Riccabona’s BaciLava Lake Lamb
Thank you
to our sponsors and donors who made our participation in the Sun Valley Food & Wine Festival last June possible:Lazy River VineyardSnake River FarmsZou 75 Wood River Land Trust Morel Hunters!
Securing Access to Public Lands
n March, the Wood River Land Trust acquired 100 acresof land in the Pioneer Mountains 12 miles from Hailey toprotect habitat for a variety of wildlife and maintain accessto public lands beyond. Situated along a stretch of PorcupineCreek, a tributary of the Little Wood River, the property isadjacent to land managed by BLM and the Sawtooth NationalForest. The Land Trust will take steps to protect and improveriparian and water resources, restrict motorized uses to themain road, and create a designated parking area.Porcupine Creek is part of a migration corridor for elkand mule deer between higher-elevation Forest Service landsand lower-elevation BLM and private properties. The habitatprovides year-round habitat for elk and also supports beaver,black bear, migratory songbirds, moose, Wood River sculpin,and seasonal use by greater sage grouse. Neighboring BLMlands have been designated an Area of Critical EnvironmentalConcern to protect sensitive wildlife resources.Because it was zoned for residential development on40-acre lots, Porcupine Creek’s conservation values werethreatened. “We purchased the property to conserve wildlifehabitat and maintain public access to surrounding publiclands,” noted Nathan Welch, Planning Coordinator for the
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PorcupineCreek Preserve
Land Trust. “This has long been an important area for recre-ational access, especially hiking and hunting….”Little Wood Headwaters Ranch, LLC, which is ownedby Beartooth Capital, an investment group specializing inecologically significant lands, was the previous landowner.“It has been a pleasure to work with the Land Trust to ensurethe public will forever have access to the Porcupine Creektrailhead….That part of the Pioneers is remarkably wild andbeautiful,” commented Carl Palmer of Beartooth Capital.Since the Land Trust was created in 1994, PorcupineCreek marks the 13th parcel of land acquired for designationas a preserve. The purchase was made possible by generousdonations from individuals and foundations to the LandTrust’s Open Space Fund.
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site with native trees, shrubs, and grasses to increasewildlife habitat and improve water quality by filteringspring runoff from Croy Creek before it enters the BigWood River. The improved wildlife habitat also pro-vides an ecological buffer to the undisturbed floodplainhabitat on the west side of the Draper Wood RiverPreserve adjacent to Croy Creek.The boardwalk at the Croy Creek Wetlands prom-ises to be an extraordinary Wood River Valley featureproviding an opportunity for the public to visit andappreciate this sensitive area while protecting it fromhuman incursion.To learn more, contact Kathryn Goldman,Senior Project Coordinator, at (208) 788-3947 orkgoldman@woodriverlandtrust.org.
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Help us build the Croy Creek WetlandsBoardwalk!
The Land Trust is raising unds tocomplete this amazing project.
A donation of $25 purchases one inch of boardwalk, $300 a foot, and $1000 a yard.
Inch by inch, you can help us build this singular val-ley eature. All donors will be listed on a plaque on-site, a great way to honor a riend or loved one.Use the remittance envelope enclosed in thisnewsletter and note that the donation is or theBoardwalk, then mail to 119 E. Bullion, Hailey, ID83333. You can also donate online at www.woodriverlandtrust.org.For other naming opportunities or moreinormation, contact Robyn Watson,Director o Development, 788-3947.
Give Us an Inch . . .
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Conceptual design o boardwalk
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