wood river land trust newsletter spring 2006

8/8/2019 Wood River Land Trust Newsletter Spring 2006

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The Land Bulletin

Double Springs Ranch

Protecting DoubleSprings Ranch

r. Doris Tunney approached Wood

River Land Trust in the summer of2005 about permanently protecting

her working ranch in the Pahsimeroi River

Valley at the foothills of Mt. Borah. The

majority of Double Springs Ranch, approxi

mately 550 of its 640 acres, is pivot-irrigate

cropland used to grow specialty horse hay.The Ranch is also an inholdinga piece

of land surrounded on all sides by public

lands. These surrounding lands have been

designated by the BLM as winter range forelk. The voluntary agreement between

Doris and Wood River Land Trust prohibits

subdivision of the Ranch to protect the lan

for farming and wildlife habitat.

Doris recalls seeing the land for thefirst time and learning it was for sale. The

land is very unique and special, she says.

knew if I purchased it I had to protect it.

Continued on pg 7

Presidents MessageJohn Flattery, Board President

ince our founding

over 10 years ago,Wood River Land

Trust has employed the

classic conservation

tools to protect open

space and wildlife habi-

tat in the Wood RiverValley. These tools

include donations of

conservation easements, donations of land,

and donations of money with which topurchase land in need of protection. Our

challenge today, as development pressures

continue to increase, is determining how

we can play a role in the public process and

influence growth patterns so that our natu-ral areas and wildlife habitat are protected

for future generations.

MARCH 2006

D

In this Issue...Protecting Double SpringsRanch,page 1

Barbara Farm: An Organic

Oasis,page 1 & 3

Presidents Message,page 1

Your Choices Can Protectthe Big Wood River,page 2

Heart of the ValleyPhotographs and Writings,

page 4

Heart and Soul,page 5

ADOPT A PRESERVE:Connecting to Cedar Bend,page 6

Sage Grouse Strut,page 6

Protecting and restoring our natural lands and healthy waters since 1994.

Barbara Farm:An Organic Oasis

Judy harvesting

Continued on pg 3

red and Judy Brossy know how to make things

grow in the Magic Valley. After twenty-twoyears of managing Barbara Farm, Fred and

Judy successfully protected the farm in perpetuity

and made it their own.

F

S

John Flattery


2/8

Your Choices Can Protect

the Big Wood River!Liz MitchellBoard Member

What I love about the valley is that

no matter the time of year, there is

always an opportunity to explore

right from the back door. I felt itwas important to join Wood River

Land Trust to help preserve open

space and wildlife habitat right here

in the valley.As an environmental lawyer, Liz has been involved

with highly contentious issues. She recognizes the value of

people working collaboratively to protect their environment

and quality of life, not just for their benefit but also for the

next generation. Liz says, my 7-year old nephew is obsessedwith fishing in the Riverside Pond in Hailey and it is great

to know that he will be able to continue to fish there and in

the Big Wood River as he grows up.Liz moved to the Wood River Valley in 2000 from

Oregon, where she practiced environmental law for a non-profit firm. She currently has her own practice.

She and her husband, Mike, spend their free time nordic

and backcountry skiing, trail running, and trying to get at

least one red tomato from their garden. Liz joined our board

in February 2005.

2

Meet Our Board of Directors

These simple actions will keep our water clean and our

fish healthy.

Site new homes as far away from the river as possible to

lessen flood risks. Preserve cottonwood trees and native vegetation along the

riverbanks to stop erosion, provide shade, and preserve thecool water temperatures fish need during hot months.

Use native plants including Coyote Willow, River Birch,Redtwig Dogwood, and Chokecherry when landscap-ing along river banks. Immediately beyond the streambank use Booth, Geyers, or Whiplash Willows. Also useElderberry and Currants.

When possible, do not remove cottonwood trees that fallin the river; in-stream wood slows the erosive action ofhigh flows.

Construct paths to the river with hand tools and size themfour feet wide or less.

Use fish-friendly construction materials, such as water-per-meable asphalt for driveways, to allow water to return tothe aquifer.

Keep our water clean by using organic fertilizers and pestcontrol methods in your yard.

Pass this information along to a neighbor, friend, or land-scape company!

For more information or a complete list of recommended plantsto use in the floodplain, contact Wood River Land Trust at788-3947.

A city of trees, all scraping thesky, line the river that rushes by like

calmness on a busy day.Tessa Barrow

GIVE A GIFTT H A T W I L L L A S

FOREVER

PLANNED GIFTS TO

WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST

Cash Contributions

Will or Living Trust

IRA or SEP IRA

401 K

Life Insurance Policies

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYSTO MAKE A PLANNED GIFTTO WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST.

Planned gifts enable future generations to enjoy the

natural areas that make this valley special.

You may wish to consult your tax advisor to deter-mine which types of donationscash, land, stock

transfers, or a combination thereofare best suitedto your estate plan.

For more information, contact Jan Pepplerat (208) 788-3947 [email protected].

Cash Contributions

Land Contributions

Voluntary ConservationAgreements


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Barbara Farm: An Organic Oasis, continued from page 1The 1800-acre Barbara Farm three miles west of Shoshone on thenorthern edge of the Snake River Plain contains 300 acres of irrigatedfarmland surrounded by sagebrush and basalt outcrops.

The Little Wood River bisects the farm, creating a river corridorthat provides a home for many species that otherwise would not exist.Because the farm is managed organically, no synthetic chemicals or fer-

tilizers are used, so the farm is a safe haven for wildlife including deer,elk, beaver, fox, owls, and songbirds.

Thanks to a partnership two years in the making, the Brossys wereable to protect Barbara Farm by collaborating with Wood River LandTrust, the Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program (FRPP) throughthe Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the landsformer owner, Ernest A. Bryant III. This partnership resulted in a396-acre conservation agreement that forever protects 297 acres ofirrigated farmland and 99 acres of riparian area from future subdivisionand development to ensure the land will remain in cultivation and thewildlife habitat will be protected for all time.

Making the Farm Our Own by Fred Brossyespite its neglected appearance, when Judy and I first drove down the lane at Barbara Farm with a local realtor in May of 198

I knew it was a special place. The next month, when I showed the farm to my employer as a prospective acquisition for a

ranching operation, he had the same impression and immediately decided to purchase it. Over the next twenty-three years i

my official capacity as Manager, and my self-appointed role of land steward, I have become intimately connected with many different

facets of the farm, and have grown to love it as if it were my own.

Initially, our relationship with the land was like that of a new bride with her first homewe worked hard to clean

up the effects of years of inattention by the former owners and to make the farm our own. At the same time, we were

making the farm more farmable, with improvements to the irrigation systems and buildings. During those early years

on the farm, there was also the challenge of figuring out how to make it work as a farm in the commodified world of

modern agriculture. Due to its small and irregular-shaped fields, Barbara Farm does not lend itself well to the econo-mies of scale necessary to survive in conventional agriculture today. After eventually facing this reality, we moved towards a 100-

percent irrigated pasture and livestock operation. Several years into this venture, it became apparent that the farm lacked sufficient

irrigation delivery systems to keep 300 acres of grass adequately irrigated during the heat of the summer. This realization came at the

same time I was seriously considering farming organically.

Part of the uniqueness of Barbara Farm is how well it fits within the wildness of th

desert surrounding it and the river flowing through it. Our challenge was to farm in a

manner that minimized, as much as possible, disruptions to the surrounding ecosystem

An obvious first step in this direction was to avoid using chemicals such as herbicides

and insecticides that are harmful to the farms flora and fauna, so adopting organic met

ods seemed to make sense. Moreover, the grass and legume pastures we had used for

raising livestock had increased the soils fertility over the years, which made growing o

first organic row crops more feasible. For the last ten years, Barbara Farm has been cerfied organic. Today we grow potatoes, beans, wheat, asparagus, and vegetable seed cro

which are marketed under the Ernies Organics label, as well as hay and pasture to mai

tain soil fertility. Our plans for the future include marketing more of our crops locally and producing our own energy right on the far

Farming organically can be particularly challenging, but it is extremely rewarding as well. As a farmer, I am very gratified

to be able to grow not only healthy and nutritious food, but also to be part of the miraculous process of growing and select-

ing seedthe most important part of sustainability. Because we have been able to create a sustainable farming operation

at Barbara Farm, when the opportunity arose to purchase it, we were ready to take the next step and move from manager/

stewards to become owner/stewards. We are very proud to have been part of the conservation agreement process that

ensures that this land will remain a farm forever, and we are very grateful to the NRCS and Wood River Land Trust and

the generous donors who made this possible.

3

A handfull of carrot seed

This is Fred and Judys story .

D

Cooper Brossy on the tractor


4/84

his fall, Wood River Land Trust asked com-

munity members to send their photographs

and writings that captured their favoriteplaces in the Valley. The response was inspiring, as

was the array of special places that were chronicled.

Entries featured runs on Baldy, secluded spots along

the Big Wood River, a playgrounds furthest reaches,

and our cottonwood forests to name a few.We received a number of beautiful photographs

and eloquent writings this year, and the public

response to these works has been great. Dozens of

people made a special trip to the Images of Nature

Gallery during the December Gallery Walk just tosee these photographs.

Participants were honored and winners

announced at a reception on January 17th at the Sun

Valley Center, Hailey, where all submitted photo-

graphs and writings were displayed for the public.

T

Photographs & Writings Honor the Heart of the Wood River Valley

Winners of Wood River Land Trusts 2005 Heart of the Valley Multi-Media Contes

PHOTOGRAPHY:

1st Place: Less is More by Joshua Wells

2nd Place: First Snow, from Dollar Mountain by Beverly Robertson

3rd Place: The Fall Trailing of the Sheep by Jennifer Montgomery

Honorable mentions:

Gods Perfect Fall Day for Jim Agnew by Sheri HodgeGrandkids Searching for the Pot of Gold by Jim HodgeStaff Favorite: Little Fall Creek by Wayne R. Clayton.SHORT WRITING:

1st Place: Heart and Soul by Sky Smith

2nd Place: The Woods by Tessa Barrow

3rd Place: Mountain of My Dreams by Tom Marron

Honorable Mentions:

My Own Private Kitty Hawk by Hunter ScarboroughOlympic by Brad Thomas

Staff Favorite: My Own Private Kitty Hawk by Hunter Scarborough

above right, Ms. Michel Polass10th grade WRHS writing classwho submitted entries to thisyears contest.

above left, 3rd Place:The Fall Trailing of the Sheepby Jennifer Montgomery

1st Place: Less is Moreby Joshua WellsAbout his photograph Joshuawrites, Less is More is symbo

of one of the many successesenvironmental organizations havhad in preserving the prolific ecological and environmental attri-butes of the Wood River Valley.Unlike other resort destinations,the Wood River Valley remainsa place where residents and visi-tors can still escape the crowdsand find peace and solitude innature.


5/8


6/86

ADOPT-A-PRESERVE: Connecting toOur Cedar Bend Preserve

f you visit the trails along the Big Wood River in Hailey, youre bound to find

people out enjoying the landwalking after work, enjoying swimming holes in

the summer, catching a trout, or checking out the birds and wildlife. These trailsare part of Wood River Land Trusts 4.5- acre Cedar Bend Preserve as well as lands

owned by the State of Idaho.

Youre also bound to see the neighborhood moose when visiting the Cedar Bendarea. Moose sightings are common these days on and near the protected habitat of thePreserve. Next time youre at Cedar Bend be sure to look for the moose tracks!

I

above, Enjoying the Cedar Bend trails on asunny winter morning

above right, Moose mom with her twins atCedar Bend

See the Sage Grouse Strut Their Stuff!ood River Land Trusts 320-acre Square LakePreserve south of Bellevue contains a sagegrouse mating ground known as a lek. On the

lek, males spread their plumage, strut, and inflate air sacson their chests to create loud plopping sounds duringelaborate rituals to attract females.

Depending on the weather, this ritual is performedearly in the morning before the sun rises throughout themonth of April. If you are interested in viewing thisamazing performance, please contact Heather at 788-3947 or [email protected]. Groups willbe small and dates may be flexible.

Sage grouse populations have declined drastically inthe Intermountain West due to the loss of critical sage-brush habitat. Wood River Land Trust works to protectimportant wildlife habitat like this so our future genera-tions can enjoy the same magnificent displays of natureas we enjoy today!

A male sage grouses mating display.

P h t

t

f R

b

t M

G i f t h

WE MET OUR CHALLENGE!

Thank you to everyone whohelped us reach and exceed our2005 year-end challenge goal of$300,000! This was our most

ambitious challenge to date, and

your response was generous andoverwhelming.

This inspiring support resultedin a $150,000 gift from ananonymous donor and our

Board of Directors, effectivelymatching every dollar donatedwith an additional fifty cents.

Meeting this challenge helpsus continue to protect the

natural areas, wildlife habitat, andhealthy waters that make this

valley special. With your help,we have now permanentlyprotected 4,628 acres in the

Wood River Valley andsurrounding area.

THANK YOU!

W


7/8

As Blaine County and its municipalities

search for creative ways to protect theBig Wood River and its wetlands as well

as local hillsides and wildlife areas, they

have recognized Wood River Land Trust

as a valuable resource and partner. We,

in turn, recognize this as an opportunityto become the go to non-governmenta

agency for land protection and conserva

tion advice. We believe that we have

already made a significant impact and

can do more.

Staff has recently:

Provided scientific data to the City

of Ketchum showing the importanc

of protecting sensitive areas near thriver and has proposed using incen-

tives that encourage landowners to

protect these areas; Testified at the City of Sun Valleys

comprehensive plan hearings to urgthe City to protect land along Sun

Valley Road for open space; and

Participated in discussions about

Blaine Countys Vision 2025 and

other planning and zoning issues.

Looking to the future, I see many addi-

tional opportunities to be involved in th

process.

Opportunities include: Identifying habitat areas that should

be off limits to development;

Cataloging wetland and other envi-

ronmentally sensitive areas; and Identifying scenic corridors and ope

areas that are environmentally sens

tive and in need of protection.

Our expertise can help protect the sensi

tive areas we all have come to cherish.

Your support and participation in this

process is vital to its success.

Presidents MessageContinued from page 1

208-788-0014www.buildingmaterialthriftstore.org

We facilitate the reuse or

recycling of homes, building

materials, and larger household

items. Proceeds from the sale

of materials are dedicated to

Wood River Land Trusts pres-

ervation of natural areas and

healthy waters throughout the

Wood River Valley.

Alpine Tree Service, Pat Rainey

Atkinsons Markets

Backwoods Mountain Sports

Bigwood Bread

Blue Ice Vodka

Boise State Radio

Brooks Welding

Calera Wine Company

Catering by Ric Lum

Cowboy Coffee Company

Flolos One Hour Photos & Portraits

Guffys

Iconoclast Books

Images of Nature Gallery

Janes Paper Place

THANK YOU TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESS SUPPORTERS!

KD Excavation

Lava Lake Land and Livestock, LLC

Mama Inez and The Bank Bar

Oak Street Take Out & Catering

Phoenix Quality Framing

River Bend Brewing

Saintsbury Vineyard

Silver Creek Distillers

Silver Creek Outtters

Silverstream Information Technology,

Sarah Gray

Sun Valley Brewing Company

Thats Entertainment

The Real Estate Magazine

White Otter Outdoor Adventures

Board of DirectorsJohn Flattery, PresidentClark Gerhardt, Vice PresidentEd Cutter, TreasurerRobin Garwood,SecretaryJerry BashawTom BentleyWilliam BurnhamHeather KingPatricia Klahr

Jack KuenemanBill LehmanLiz MitchellSteve StrandbergJoan SwiftTom SwiftChris ThompsonBarbara ThrasherBruce TidwellDoris TunneyLiz Warrick

WRLT StaffScott BoettgerExecutive Director

Melanie DahlExecutive Assistant

Kate GieseStewardship Coordinator

Kathryn GoldmanProject Coordinator

Diane KahmData Manager

Allison KennedyPlanning Coordinator

Heather KimmelProgram & MembershipCoordinator

Jan PepplerMajor Gifts Officer

This newsletter is published by:

Wood River Land Trust119 East Bullion StreetHailey, Idaho 83333

208-788-3947 (telephone)208-788-5991 (fax)

[email protected] (email)www.woodriverlandtrust.org (web)

Tax ID# 82-0474191

Advisory CommitteeDavid AndersonPeter BeckerJulie GallagherLarry SchoenJohn Seiller

The sun peeked over the tips

of the surrounding mountains,

and the chair lift glided through

a strip of cleared trees with

moist snow drizzled over

their pine needles.

Natalie Hague


8/8

119 East Bullion Street

Hailey, Idaho 83333

www.woodriverlandtrust.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Acres Permanently Protected to Date: 4,628Printed on recycled pape

Honorable Mention: Gods Perfect Fall Day for Jim Agnew by Sheri Hodge

NON-PROFIT

STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 21

83333

wood river land trust newsletter spring 2006

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