Spring/Summer 2010

Newsletter

From the Board - New Member Jessica McAleese

As a small acreage farmer in thePortneuf Valley, I have spent the lastseveral weeks buzzing from one task tothe other, getting the farm ready forthe season. When stopping to take inmy surroundings, I enjoy the contrastof snow melting on the peaks intogreen foothills. The coming of springbrings a certain sense of change andnew growth to my bones and I growgiddy with anticipation for all thingsblooming. I love this corner of theworld and my roots here are deep. Likemany of you, I grew up in these mountains, scrambled around on these cliffs,fished along these rivers and skied along these ridges. And now, as I dig mytoes into the freshly turned soil and plant my spinach seeds, I find great peacein working to grow good food for this Valley.I am thrilled to be a new board member on the SSRLT. My interest inthe conservation of this region goes beyond aesthetics. My dedication for theconservation and protection of southeast Idaho is rooted to the quality of lifeso many of us treasure. It is the very heart of this amazing region. The senseof place so many of us feel as we buzz around day to day, taking joy in livingin a place that still fulfills our senses. We don’t have to travel hours on end toseek solitude, watch in awe as the red tailed hawk soars in the thermals above,or feel that high desert wind on our cheeks. It is right out our back doors. Andyet, this place we call home is still so vulnerable. With this lies my commit-ment to you, the Land Trust, and a call to action for all of us.Our land is at risk, our watersheds, wildlife habitat, and working lands arein jeopardy, and our quality of life--the heart beating through this region—isbeing swiftly gobbled and transformed irreversibly. The time is ripe to workwith one another to conserve and protect our lands through Southeast Idaho.By working together with landowners, community organizations, and otherscommitted to good stewardship, we have the chance to protect this regionand the lands we all love and enjoy. Thanks for your support of your localLand Trust. I hope to see you at our spring and summer events!

Working with willing landowners, the Land Trust’s mission is to protectand enhance natural lands, wildlife habitat, and working farms andranches in southeastern Idaho, now and for future generations.

Jessica McAleese

Jessica McAleese is a wild earth enthusiast andgrew up in the mountains of Idaho. She is theco-conspirator of LadyBird Farms, a small com-munity supported agriculture (CSA) and mar-ket farm in the Portneuf Gap area. When notgrowing veggies, Jessica works on many differentcommunity based projects throughout southeastIdaho, including the development and promo-tion of community and school gardens, sustain-able agriculture coordination with Three RiversRC&D, and outreach and education with ThePocatello Co-op. She has her Master’s in PublicHealth and isan active com-munity mem-ber, servingon the Cityof Pocatello’sOpen SpaceAdvisoryCommitteeand now theSagebrushSteppeRegional LandTrust!

Who We Are

Welcome New Board Members!

Lisa Safford

Lisa grew up in Whiting, Indiana, a small town onLake Michigan thatborders Chicago.She has lived inPhoenix, Houston,and Tampa but main-tains that Pocatellois the best placeshe has ever lived.Having been here for15 years, Lisa cher-ishes the high qual-ity of life in southeast Idaho. Lisa has a B.S. inGeology from the University of South Florida,an M.S. in Environmental Science from IdahoState University, and is a Registered ProfessionalGeologist. She is self-employed as an environ-mental consultant and focuses on water resources.Her passions are skiing, mountain biking, and rockclimbing with her family and friends.

Learn more about all the Land Trust’s Boardmembers, staff, and volunteers online by visiting our website.

See more online!

sagebrushlandtrust.org

Thanks to the support of the Land Trust Alliance,the Brainerd Foundation, and the Heart of theRockies, Joselin was able to participate in a weeklong land trust executive director leadershipseminar in March. It was an amazing opportu-nity to learn from the best of the best in the landtrust community in regard to bulding a viableand sustainable organization. Looking ahead,we are going to take the valuable informationgained at this training to revisit and revitalizeour organizations’ stragic plan. We are tacklingthis planning process in coming months andwould welcome participation and input from ourcommunity members.

Land Trust Alliance Leadership Training

Training participants gaze at the Pacific during a field trip of a con-servation easement in Big Sur area.

Community

Restoration Workday - Saturday, June 5

We will be working on weed control and other restorationactivities along the newly restored Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Blackfoot River.

On the Land Tour - Saturday, June 12

Join SSRLT staff and Board members, along with local natural-ists, Karl Holte and Chuck Trost, as we get out and enjoy ourmost recent conservation easement in Bannock County.

Flyfishing & Float Trip - TBA (Aug/Sept)

Join us for our second annual float down the Bear River.The date will be posted on our website later this summer.

Meet us at other community events

Listen to music while stopping by our booth at thePortneuf Riverfest in Taysom Rotary Park on Saturday, June 19.

Great Outdoors Fundraiser

Thursday, July 8 at the Mink Creek Group Site

Get Involved!!!!

Volunteers are vital to our suc-cess, and thereare opportuni-ties in almostevery aspect of the work wedo. It’s a great way to get out-side, meet new people, and helpprotect the spe-cial places that make this a wonderful area to live . There are many ways to be involved. If you are interested in offering your knowl-edge and skills in any capacity to help protect land in southeasternIdaho, please contact us! Opportunities are available in land stew-ardship, events, fundraising, publicity, and office projects. You canalso serve on the Board or a committee.

See more online!

sagebrushlandtrust.org

Upcoming Events and Activities!

To learn more about any of our upcomingevents, visit our website: sagebrushlandtrust.orgTo RSVP please call (208) 241-4662 or email joselin.matkins@sagebrushlandtrust.org

Don’t miss Steelhead Redd!

Please join us Thursday, July 8 for our second Annual Fundraiser andBBQ at the Mink Creek Group Site. The event features a lamb dinner,beer and wine, a silent auction, great live music, and kids activities.Come and enjoy the great outdoors while supporting a great cause!

Don’t Miss the Second Annual

Tickets Available at the Raven’s Next Starting June 1