Wood River Land Trust Company

THE WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST'S MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND SUSTAIN THE TREASURED LANDSCAPES AND LIFE-GIVING WATERS OF THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY AND TO INSPIRE LOVE FOR THIS SPECIAL PLACE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

LAND ACQUISITION/PROTECTION WARM SPRINGS PRESERVE THE PROTECTION OF WARM SPRINGS RANCH IN KETCHUM HAS BEEN A PRIORITY FOR WRLT FOR DECADES. WARM SPRINGS RANCH IS THE LAST SIGNIFICANT OPEN SPACE WITHIN THE CITY OF KETCHUM AND HAS BEEN USED BY THE COMMUNITY INFORMALLY AS AN OFF-LEASH DOG PARK AND NATURE AREA. THIS FISCAL YEAR, WRLT CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY OF KETCHUM'S SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY TO FOREVER BE MAINTAINED AS A PUBLIC PARK. WRLT WILL WORK WITH THE CITY OF KETCHUM TO CREATE ADDITIONAL AMENITIES TO ENHANCE RECREATIONAL AMENITIES WITHIN THE PARK, AND RESTORE 1 MILE OF WARM SPRINGS CREEK AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE PROPERTY. REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS IN RESPONSE TO THE RAPID GROWTH AND CHANGE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY, WRLT EMBARKED ON A NEW INITIATIVE TO ELEVATE THE NEED FOR REGIONAL PLANNING ACROSS JURISDICTIONS. BULLION STREET ACQUISITION WRLT PURCHASED A 15-ACRE PROPERTY ON BULLION ST, CONTIGUOUS WITH THE HAILEY GREENWAY. PER THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE GIFT, APPROXIMATELY 8 ACRES OF THE SITE WILL BE HELD FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES AND INCORPORATED INTO THE HAILEY GREENWAY (SECURING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE GREENWAY FROM BULLION STREET AND PROTECTING MATURE COTTONWOOD FOREST AND RIPARIAN HABITAT), AND UP TO 7 ACRES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO CITY SERVICES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING. THIS PROJECT WILL BE A DEMONSTRATION OF HOW TO IMPLEMENT SMART GROWTH PRACTICES, AND HOW WE CAN PROVIDE FOR CRITICAL WORKFORCE HOUSING INVENTORY WHERE IT'S MOST APPROPRIATE, WHILE ALSO PROTECTING IMPORTANT NATURAL RESOURCES. SIMONS/BAUER PRESERVE LAST YEAR, WRLT PURCHASED 118 ACRES OF LAND IN CROY CANYON FROM THE SIMONS/BAUER FAMILY. THIS ACQUISITION PROTECTED THE MOUTH OF CROY CANYON AND 1 MILE OF CROY CREEK AS IT FEEDS INTO THE BIG WOOD RIVER. IT PROTECTS IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR MIGRATING WILDLIFE, AS WELL AS WETLANDS AND LAND THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AS IMPORTANT FOR PROVIDING ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. IN FY 2021-22, WRLT WORKED WITH THE CITY OF HAILEY TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS FOR THE CROY CANYON CORRIDOR, WHICH INCLUDES PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF HAILEY AS WELL AS THE SIMONS/BAUER PRESERVE. THIS PROCESS RESULTED IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF GOALS FOR THE CORRIDOR, AND EVENTUALLY TO THE CITY ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT TO SELL A CONSERVATION EASEMENT OVER THEIR PROPERTY TO WRLT TO BE MANAGED CONSISTENTLY WITH THE SIMONS/BAUER PRESERVE. THIS INITIATED THE PRESERVE CROY CANYON CAMPAIGN, WHICH STARTED IN FY 2021-22 AND WILL BE COMPLETED IN FY 2022-23. QUEENS CROWN WRLT INITIATED THE PURCHASE OF THE QUEENS CROWN PROPERTY, A 281-ACRE PROPERTY WITH SIGNIFICANT HABITAT CONNECTIVITY FOR BIG GAME, UPLAND BIRDS, AND GREATER SAGE-GROUSE, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND PUBLIC ACCESS TO SURROUNDING LANDS OWNED BY THE BUREAU OF LANDS MANAGEMENT. THE ACQUISITION WILL BE COMPLETED IN FY 2022-23. PIONEERS ALLIANCE WRLT STAFF'S COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH THE PIONEERS ALLIANCE HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER RANCHERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO PROTECT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 ACRES IN THE PIONEER MOUNTAINS-CRATERS OF THE MOON LANDSCAPE THROUGH THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE'S AGRICULTURAL LANDS EASEMENT PROGRAM. IN 2021-22, WRLT CONTINUED TO WORK WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN THIS LANDSCAPE TO RESTORE HABITAT BURNED IN THE SHARPS FIRE. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON GREATER SAGE-GROUSE POPULATIONS AND WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS TO RESTORE HABITAT ON CONSERVED LANDS. STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLANNING IN 2021-22, WRLT CONTINUED OUR WORK TO UPDATE OUR STRATEGIC CONSERVATION PLAN TO INCORPORATE THE LATEST CLIMATE SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ON ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE INTO OUR PRIORITIZATION MODELS.

RIVER HEALTH & RESTORATION IN FY 21-22, WRLT CONTINUED THE DESIGN AND PLANNING FOR RIVER RESTORATION PROJECTS NORTH OF KETCHUM (SUN PEAK/HULEN MEADOWS PROJECT), WITHIN THE HAILEY GREENWAY (HEAGLE PARK SIDE CHANNEL RESTORATION, AND COLORADO GULCH STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT AND BRIDGE PROJECT), AND IN BELLEVUE (LOWER HOWARD PRESERVE PROJECT). CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS WERE CONTRACTED AND PERMITS, APPROVALS, AND CONSTRUCTION FUNDING WERE PURSUED THIS FISCAL YEAR. CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELLEVUE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED THIS FISCAL YEAR, WITH A SECOND PHASE PLANNED FOR FY 22-23, ALONG WITH THE COLORADO GULCH RESTORATION PROJECT. WRLT ALSO CONTRACTED FOR DESIGN ON A DAM FISH PASSAGE PROJECT THAT WILL OPEN UP APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES OF FISH SPAWNING HABITAT. WRLT AND PARTNERS WILL CONTINUE WORKING THROUGH DESIGN AND PERMITTING FOR THIS PROJECT IN FY 22-23. WRLT CONTINUED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HAILEY, BLAINE COUNTY, AND THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT 9 TO MOVE THE RESTORATION OF LIONS PARK AT THE HAILEY GREENWAY FORWARD. THE GOAL OF THIS MULTI-YEAR PROJECT IS TO RESTORE FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY AND FUNCTION AND MITIGATE FLOODING THAT OCCURS IN COMMUNITIES DOWNSTREAM BECAUSE OF DEGRADED RIVER FUNCTION. WRLT ALSO BEGAN A ROBUST MONITORING PROGRAM TO FILL GAPS IN MONITORING DATA FOR THE BIG WOOD RIVER BASIN: INSTALLING DATA SENSORS AT MULTIPLE POINTS ALONG THE BIG WOOD RIVER TO COLLECT REAL-TIME TEMPERATURE DATA TO MONITOR AND REPORT ON RIVER CONDITIONS; AND BEGINNING A MULTI-YEAR MACROINVERTEBRATE TREND MONITORING PROGRAM. WOOD RIVER WATER COLLABORATIVE TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS AT TROUT UNLIMITED AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CONTINUES TO HELP FACILITATE THE WOOD RIVER WATER COLLABORATIVE (WRWC). THERE ARE 75 PARTNERS IN THE COLLABORATIVE REPRESENTING DIVERSE INTERESTS INCLUDING: SENIOR AND JUNIOR WATER USERS, AGRICULTURE, GROUNDWATER DISTRICTS, MUNICIPALITIES, STATE LEGISLATORS, THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, THE IDAHO WATER RESOURCE BOARD, COUNTY AND STATE AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-PROFITS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE WRWC IS TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE WATER USE FOR FARMING AND RANCHING; TO PRESERVE SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE WOOD RIVER WATERSHEDS; AND TO CONSERVE RIPARIAN AND RIVER HABITAT FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE THAT RELY ON THE BIG WOOD RIVER, SILVER CREEK, LITTLE WOOD RIVER AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES.

LAND STEWARDSHIP STAFF MONITORED ALL 43 OF THE WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, TOTALING 13,149 ACRES TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH INDIVIDUAL EASEMENT RESTRICTIONS/LANGUAGE AND TO NOTE ANY CHANGES IN THE PROPERTY. ALL MONITORING DATA, SUCH AS PHOTO POINTS, WERE REPORTED AND ENTERED INTO THE PERMANENT RECORD. WRLT CONTINUED TO MANAGE AND STEWARD OUR 16 FEE SIMPLE PROPERTIES LOCATED IN AND ADJACENT TO THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY. THESE PRESERVES ARE MAINTAINED IN THEIR NATURAL STATE AND/OR RESTORED TO A HEALTHY LANDSCAPE. STEWARDSHIP STAFF ADDRESSES SUCH ONGOING PROBLEMS AS NOXIOUS WEEDS, TRASH, UNWANTED VEHICLE USE, EROSION AND TRAIL UPKEEP. WRLT ALSO INSTALLED IRRIGATION AND FRUIT TREES TO CREATE A COMMUNITY ORCHARD AT THE COLORADO GULCH PRESERVE THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND INSTALLED IMPROVEMENTS AROUND THE POPULAR BOW BRIDGE IN THE DRAPER PRESERVE TO RESTORE AREAS AROUND THE BRIDGE THAT WERE EXPERIENCING EROSION AND BEING DAMAGED BY USERS AND INSTALL ATTRACTIVE FENCING AND NEW PLANTINGS TO DISCOURAGE OFF-TRAIL ACTIVITY IN THE AREA. WRLT ALSO SUPPORTED THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO'S RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH BY PARTNERING ON PROJECTS TO REMOVE DILAPIDATED BARBED WIRE FENCING AND REPLACING IT WITH ELECTRIC LET-DOWN FENCING THAT ALLOWS FOR BETTER WILDLIFE MOVEMENT THROUGH THE RANCH. SOUTHERN IDAHO LAND TRUST IN FY 21-22, WRLT PROVIDED CONTRACT MONITORING SERVICES TO THE SOUTHERN IDAHO LAND TRUST TO MONITOR THEIR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS HELD IN THE MAGIC VALLEY AREA.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/OTHER A COMMUNITY THAT ENJOYS AND LOVES THE LAND WILL WORK TO PROTECT IT. RESEARCH SHOWS THE BEST WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT THE LAND AND OUR ENVIRONMENT IS TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES IN NATURE. WE BRING PEOPLE TO THE LAND AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY'S YOUTH ON CONSERVATION THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE WRLT'S STUDENT CONSERVATION COUNCIL, HOSTING FIELD TRIPS AT OUR PRESERVES FOR K-12 STUDENTS, AND HOSTING VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES TO IMPROVE OUR PRESERVES. ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR INCLUDED PARTNERING WITH THE YMCA ON SUMMER FIELD TRIPS WITH THEIR KIDS' CAMPS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE CENTER'S KIDS PROGRAMMING, AND OTHERS. WRLT ALSO PILOTED A CITIZEN SCIENCE BIRD MONITORING PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY, AND HOSTED VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES IN WRLT'S POLLINATOR MEADOW AND COMMUNITY ORCHARD AT COLORADO GULCH, AND IN QUIGLEY CANYON TO REMOVE OLD BARBED WIRE FENCING TO PREVENT WILDLIFE COLLISIONS AND ENTANGLEMENTS WITH FENCING.