perspectives on
Land Wood River Land Trust
f all 2 0 0 7 The cottonwood forest trail at Draper Wood River Preserve
Hailey Preserve Grows by 80 Acres and Gets New Name
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ailey residents and Wood River Land Trust are celebrating the completion of a long-anticipated land trade that expanded the Cedar Bend Preserve from 4.5 to 84.5 acres. Wood River Land Trust first identified the area for protection in 1997 as part of an effort to create a protected greenway along the Big Wood River in Hailey. The greenway would protect healthy river function and wildlife habitat, lessen impacts of flooding, and provide a place to enjoy hiking, swimming, fishing, and bird watching year-round. The first step towards protecting this riverfront area came with a donation from Ernie Gore and Cheri Ashworth in 2001. As part of the new Cedar Bend subdivision,
Gore and Ashworth donated 2.3 acres, and the Cedar Bend Preserve was born. An opportunity to purchase 2.2 adjacent acres at a bargain rate arose in 2003, leading to a successful fundraising campaign that expanded the Preserve to 4.5 acres. In mid-July, after more than two years of discussion and negotiation, Wood River Land Trust received 120 acres of land previously owned by the Idaho Department of Lands including a ½ mile of Big Wood River frontage in Hailey in exchange for a 4.6-acre lot in Indian Creek. 80 of these acres are adjacent to the Cedar Bend Preserve, making the new preserve an expansive 84.5 acres in the center of town. Continued on page 5
A publication of Wood River Land Trust www.woodriverlandtrust.org info@woodriverlandtrust.org
Protecting the heart of the valley...now and for the future.
who we are Bill Burnham Board Member
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n the late 80s and early 90s, Bill and his wife, Kaye, took many summer trips to western resort areas hoping to find the perfect second home town. Although they loved to ski, they wanted to experience the mountains, rivers, streams, forests, and wildlife during the glorious summer months. Their decision to settle in the Wood River Valley turned out to be an easy one—the area’s beauty, its tranquility, the friendly and involved people, and the recreational opportunities made it the clear choice. They bought a home and moved here part-time in 1995. Less than two years later Bill missed the area so much when at home in Atlanta, Georgia, that he and Kaye
Kaye and Bill Burnham agreed he would retire early and they whould move full-time to their home in Elkhorn. In 1999 Bill became a member of the Board of Directors of the Sun Valley Elkhorn Association. Bill explains that the group owns hundreds of acres of
open space and other environmentally sensitive land. “I became more and more concerned,” he says, “about ways to ensure that sensitive areas throughout the Valley were protected and preserved for generations to come . . . After discussing this with my friend and formerBoard President of the Land Trust, John Flattery, it became obvious that the best way for me to pursue these goals was to get involved with Wood River Land Trust.” Bill has been a member of Wood River Land Trust’s Board of Directors since 2005. “This is a very active and involved Board,” says Bill. “The members are passionate about Wood River Land Trust’s work, and I’m excited to be helping the organization meet its goals.”
Challenge Grant 2007 For the ninth consecutive year, Wood River Land Trust is fortunate to announce a 2:1 year-end challenge grant.
Year-End Challenge Goal.............$340,000
Amount Raised as of 8/30........$78,995 Amount Needed to Meet Challenge........................$266,005
Anonymous donors and our Board of Directors have generously pledged $170,000. To receive this gift, we must raise $340,000 by December 31, 2007. This means that every dollar you donate before the end of the year will be matched by an additional $.50. The Year-End Challenge provides an excellent opportunity to make your gift go even further in the protection of the Valley’s land, water, and wildlife habitat. All donations are tax-deductible. Please help us reach our goal today!
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Visit the Building Material Thrift Store at its new location - 3930 S. Woodside beginning November 1, 2007. (208) 788-0014 buildingmaterialthriftstore.org
thank you. . .
for helping us achieve our goals
Thanks to All Our VolunteersWe Couldn’t Do It Without You! Jeff Adams Joy and Eric Allen Ken Anderson Tom Bergin Riley Berman Carol Blackburn Florence and Tom Blanchard Gay Boecker Bobbie Boyer Elizabeth Breen Carol Brown Mary Jane Burns Susan Cady Lynn Campion Mark Caywood Kyle Cole Patrice Cole Steve Crosser Art Dahl Jenny Emory Davidson Rick Davis Linda and Bob Edwards Carl Evenson Daralene and John Finnell Polly Frostman Peter Gray Dick Hay Irene and Michael Healy Sarah Hedrick
Jeff Hobart Patricia Hull Annie Kaiser Jenna Kavanagh Allison Kennedy Hampton King Chris Koch Bob Law Meribeth Lomkin Paddy McIlvoy Erica Miller Gerry Morrison Lynea Newcomer Patsy Nickum Carmen and Ed Northen Esther Ochsman Nicola Potts Kathy Richmond Jason Roth Becky Smith Brenda Smith Bob Stevens Brett Stevenson Reed Stokes Reggie Swindle Jennifer Tuohy Liza Wilson Elizabeth Zellers
John and Jackson in front of Wood River Land Trust’s historic headquarters
Big Thanks to Dedicated Summer Interns
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e send out a big thank you to our hardworking stewardship interns, John McVay and Jackson Parker. John, who recently completed his master’s degree from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry College in Syracuse, created a digital archive of our conservation agreement documents. Jackson, a student at Eckerd College in Florida, organized our annual conservation agreement inspections. Jackson and John both spent long hours working in the field—maintaining trails, fighting noxious weeds, and ensuring our lands are well cared for. We wish the best to Jackson and John as they pursue their careers in conservation!
Ken Anderson and MJ Burns join an ambitious group of volunteers for a day of work and fun at Boxcar Bend
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connecting Meandering for Mallow
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his year’s wildflower hike took place on June 5th at the 17-acre Lake Creek Preserve and was led once again by botanist Carol Blackburn. The sky looked threatening, but the weather stayed fine and cool, making the hiking up, up, up the hill not quite so challenging. We saw many native wildflowers – Globe Mallow, Scarlet Gilia, Hot Rock Penstemon, Arrow-leaved Balsamroot, and Yarrow were just a few. There was also a member of the Lily Family that Carol had not seen there before, and her enthusiasm was infectious. We hope you’ll join us next year for a fine evening hike to see beautiful flowers and panoramic views, enjoy convivial company, and learn about our native flora. Or, visit the Preserve on your own and let us know what flowers you find! Learning about wildflowers at Lake Creek Preserve
Mushroom Madness
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espite the cold drizzle at Draper Wood River Preserve (formerly Cedar Bend Preserve), this year’s Mushroom Walk crowd was large and enthusiastic. Kathy Richmond, Simba Springs conservation agreement donor and member of the Southern Idaho Mycological Association, led the walk for the second year and shared her knowledge about mushrooms. Kathy shared some pointers and then sent the hunters to search throughout the preserve. Most of the participants hunted for morels, Kathy Richmond displays a but many mushroom species, both delicious morel edible and poisonous, were found and identified.
Caddis Capers: A River Success
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s the fishing season heated up, local kids headed out to the River. Silver Creek Outfitters and Wood River Land Trust teamed up to create Caddis Capers, a fly-fishing and conservation class for kids. About ten local youth joined us for a fun morning on the Big Wood River. The kids explored the River with a stream health scavenger Hoping for fish at Hulen hunt, learned about entomology, Meadows Pond and had a casting clinic in Hulen Meadows Pond as well as a picnic lunch. It was an exciting morning on the Big Wood and everyone was all smiles by the end of the day. A special thanks to Terry Ring and his staff at Silver Creek Outfitters as well as our great volunteers who helped make the event a success.
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to the land Hailey Preserve Grows by 80 Acres and Gets New Name Continued from cover
Elm
St.
As
in
Lions Park
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On Wood River Land Trust’s wish list since 1997, this trade preserves one of the most popular natural areas in our community. The area’s cottonwood forest is a crucial part of the river system, and the trail connecting Cedar Bend and Lions Park is used year-round for walking, jogging, and snowshoeing, bird watching, and simply relaxing on the banks. In addition to improving water quality and decreasing flood risks, the cottonwood forest also provides important wildlife habitat. Moose, elk, deer, river otter, and a variety of birds are commonly seen in the Preserve.
pe
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Main preserve Entrance beach
ar
Ced
heart tree
Cedar bend entrance
The trade was a success due in part to the generosity of a number of local residents. Foremost are Priscilla and Ranney Draper, who made a leadership gift that enabled Wood River Land Trust to purchase the lot used to trade for the State of Idaho land. We also thank Bruce Smith, owner of Alpine Enterprises, a local surveying and mapping company, who sold his 4.6-acre lot in Indian Creek to Wood River Land Trust at a bargain rate for use as the trade lot. The Idaho Department of Lands owns land for the purpose of generating revenue for the state’s schools. Because of its charter, they are not able to make discounted trades or bargain sales of land. Therefore, finding land at a comparable value for trade was essential to the transaction’s success. Smith’s bargain sale (offering a selling price below market rate) offer made it possible for Wood River Land Trust to raise money from private sources to purchase the lot it then
New New Draper Draper Wood Wood River River Preserve Preserve
swimming hole
Former Cedar Bend Preserve
Heagle Park
A long-anticipated land trade expands the Cedar Bend Preserve from 4.5 to 84.5 acres
traded to the State. Matt Luck of Windermere Realty also generously waived his real estate commission. Thanks to the support of the Drapers, Bruce Smith, and a number of others, 80 acres along the river are forever protected and open to the community. The Cedar Bend
Preserve was renamed the Draper Wood River Preserve at a private dedication ceremony on July 25th in honor of the Draper Family’s commitment to protecting the Big Wood River and its cottonwood forests and wildlife habitat.
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connecting Tell Us Why You Love Living in the Valley!
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ach year as summer slows and autumn creeps in, we announce our annual Heart of the Valley contest. The theme of this year’s contest, our 4th, is “Sustaining the Heart of our Valley.” There are countless reasons we love living in the Wood River Valley. Some reasons—fabulous skiing, hiking, biking, and fishing—are almost universally named. Other towns, though, such as Aspen, Jackson, Lake Tahoe, and Whistler have these amenities, but we do not long to call them home. This year’s contest asks you to explore the fundamental elements that set the Wood River Valley apart from
other mountain resort areas—the things that if taken away would rob us of our unique identity. It could be local produce that keeps us healthy, people and places that inspire us, wildlife and unforgettable vistas right out the back door, or businesses and events that add to the community’s vitality . . . countless people, places, and things come together to cultivate and nurture the bounty that makes the Wood River Valley home. That’s this year’s challenge . . . show us where, within what, or with whom this essence is found by sending us your photographs and short writings (essays, poems, and memoirs). Photographs
Last Chance To Reap Additional Benefits For Conservation Donations! Receive added benefits for conservation donations of land in 2007.
a temporary law:
• Increases the tax deduction for conservation easement donations from 30% of landowners’ income in any year to 50%; • Allows qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and • Increases the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years. These new rules only apply to conservation agreements and land donations made by December 31, 2007.
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Board of Directors Clark Gerhardt, President Ed Cutter, Vice President Joan Swift, Treasurer Robin Garwood, Secretary Jerry Bashaw William Burnham John Flattery Trent Jones Heather King Patricia Klahr Jack Kueneman Bill Lehman Liz Mitchell John Fell Stevenson Steve Strandberg Tom Swift Chris Thompson Barbara Thrasher Doris Tunney Liz Warrick
will be displayed and readings of the short writings will be held throughout the winter. Submission guidelines are available on our website, www.woodriverlandtrust.org. You can also stop by our office or contact Heather Kimmel at 788-3947 or hkimmel@woodriverlandtrust.org for more information. This year’s contest is generously sponsored by:
Submissions Due November 16, 2007
WRLT Staff Scott Boettger Executive Director
Morgan Buckert Membership Assistant
Melanie Dahl Executive Assistant
Kate Giese Director of Conservation
Kathryn Goldman Project Coordinator
Diane Kahm
Advisory Committee David Anderson Peter Becker Ranney Draper Rebekah Helzel Dave Parrish Larry Schoen John Seiller Bruce Tidwell This newsletter is published by:
Development Assistant
Wood River Land Trust
Heather Kimmel
119 East Bullion Street Hailey, Idaho 83333 208-788-3947 (telephone) 208-788-5991 (fax) info@woodriverlandtrust.org www.woodriverlandtrust.org Tax ID# 82-0474191
Program & Membership Coordinator
Robyn Watson Major Gifts Officer
Nathan Welch Planning Coordinator
to the land Why We Protected Simba Springs By Kathy and Dave Richmond of Clayton, Idaho
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hen we first came to Idaho 17 years ago we were struck by the awesome beauty of this state and especially the striking mountains and forests around and just north of Ketchum. The Boulders, White Clouds, and Sawtooth Mountains became a source of inspiration to us. While caring for sick and dying patients with cancer and blood disorders in California was deeply rewarding and challenging, it was also immensely stressful. We decided to look for property in Idaho. On a skiing trip in 1989, we discovered a chunk of relatively undisturbed land with a small home and decided to purchase Simba Springs, to be used as a getaway from our frenetic life in California. A few years later, after many vacations from California, we decided we could no longer bear to stay away from our new home in Idaho. We picked up lock, stock, and barrel and moved to Simba Springs. Suddenly, we were surrounded by peace, beauty, and contentment. We became aware of the magic of wilderness and wildlife surrounding us in our own backyard. Since that time we have become avid preservationists of wild nature and wild life. Simba Springs is home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife and hosts lots of migrant megafauna including black bears, mountain lions, wolves, martens, lynx, deer, elk, and even an occasional pronghorn and mountain goat. We have counted 80 species of birds, including bald and golden eagles, northern goshawk, great horned owls, northern pygmy owls, as well as many songbirds. Our forest of mature and old growth Douglas Fir and aspen and our two
An autumn vista at the newly protected 635-acre Simba Springs
small creeks and many springs provided sustenance to us and our visitors, both human and animal. It soon became apparent to us that we would need to do something to ensure that our 635 acres of heaven, surrounded on all 4 sides by the SNRA and BLM land, would be protected after we died. We had read about conservation agreements and investigated a couple of organizations who would help us plan for the future of Simba Springs. It wasn’t until we interviewed the wonderful staff at Wood River Land Trust, however, that we knew we had found our solution. Scott Boettger and Kate Giese and the rest of the staff listened to all of our concerns and spent many
to Stanley
Salm
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to Challis
HWY 75
Simba Springs Sawtooth National Recreation Area
hours working to assure our agreement was exactly what we needed. On April 30, 2007 our Simba Springs Conservation Easement was finalized and recorded. We now can rest assured that this piece of God’s creation will remain in as pristine a state as possible in perpetuity, thanks to Wood River Land Trust’s commitment.
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NON-PROFIT STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 21 83333
119 East Bullion Street Hailey, Idaho 83333 www.woodriverlandtrust.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Printed on recycled paper
fall 2007 In This issue: Hailey Preserve Grows by 80 Acres and Gets New Name ...Page 1 Tell Us Why You Love Living in the Valley ...Page 6 Why We Protected Simba Springs ...Page 7
“Golden Day” by Kim Clayton, Honorable Mention Photography Division, 2006 Heart of the Valley Contest
Acres Permanently Protected With Your Support: 6,421