ssrlt summer 2010 nwslttr

8/8/2019 SSRLT Summer 2010 Nwslttr

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Another 435 Acres Protected!

We are pleased to announce the comple-tion of our latest conservation project, the

435-acre Deep Creek Property, situatedalong Deep Creek east of Franklin, Idaho.

This project ensures riparian woodland,

wildlife habitat, scenic openspace, andpublic access to the United States Forest

Service lands are protected for future gen-

erations. The beautiful property sits onthe north end of the Wasatch Mountains

and harbors important riparian habitat

and upland habitat frequented by elk

and mule deer. The project continues theacquisition of conservation lands in the Bear River drainage aimed at pro-

tecting and improving habitat for Bonneville cutthroat trout and countlessother species. An important element of the project is the public access

established to the United States Forest Service land and the Mt. Naomi

Wilderness Area.In the short term, the Land Trust will hold the property in fee title

ownership. Longer term, we are exploring options such placing a conserva-

tion easement on the land that will be held by the Land Trust, and sellingthe property to a conservation buyer. This option would not affect the

public access and would ensure the conservation values are protected in

perpetuity. The conservation easement would forever prohibit excessivedevelopment.

Funding for the project and ongoing land stewardship was provided

by the Bear River Hydroelectric Projects Environmental Coordinating

Committee, a stakeholder group that approves expenditure of PacifiCorpEnergy hydro project environmental enhancement funds dedicated to

improving water quality and native fish populations along the Bear River

in Idaho.All photos on this page are from the newly protected property.

Working with willing landowners, the Land Trusts mission is to protect and enhance natural lands,wildlife habitat, and working farms and ranches in southeastern Idaho, now and for future generations

Summer 2010

Newsletter


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Jessica McAleese is a wild earth enthusiast andgrew up in the mountains of Idaho. She is the co-

conspirator of LadyBird Farms, a small community

supported agriculture (CSA) and market farm inthe Portneuf Gap area.

When not growing veggies, Jessica works onmany different community based projects through-

out southeast Idaho, including the developmentand promotion of community and school gardens,

sustainable agriculture coordination with ThreeRivers RC&D, and outreach and education with

The Pocatello Co-op. She has her Masters inPublic Health and is an active community mem-

ber, serving on the City of Pocatellos Open Space

Advisory Committee and now the SagebrushSteppe Regional Land Trust!

Who We AreWelcome New Board Members!

Lisa SaffordLisa grew up in Whiting, Indiana, a small town

on Lake Michigan that borders Chicago. Shehas lived in Phoenix,

Houston, and Tampa but

maintains that Pocatellois the best place she hasever lived. Having been

here for 15 years, Lisa

cherishes the high qual-ity of life in southeast

Idaho. Lisa has a B.S.in Geology from the University of South Florida,

an M.S. in Environmental Science from IdahoState University, and is a Registered Professional

Geologist. She is self-employed as an environ-mental consultant and focuses on water resources.

Her passions are skiing, mountain biking, and rock

climbing with her family and friends.

Learn more about all the Land Trusts Board

members, staff, and volunteers online by

visiting our website. See more online!sagbushadtust.g

Jessica McAleeseAs a small acreage

farmer in the Portneuf

Valley, I have spentthe last several weeks

buzzing from one task

to the other, getting

the farm ready for the

season. When stop-

ping to take in my surroundings, I enjoy the contrast

of snow melting on the peaks into green foothills.

The coming of spring brings a certain sense of change

and new growth to my bones and I grow giddy with

anticipation for all things blooming. I love this

corner of the world 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 my toes

into the freshly turned soil and plant my spinach

seeds, I find great peace in working to grow good food

for this Valley.

I am thrilled to be a new board member on the

SSRLT. My interest in the conservation of this

region goes beyond aesthetics. My dedication for

the conservation and protection of southeast Idaho

is rooted to the quality of life so many of us treasure.It is the very heart of this amazing region. The sense

of place so many of us feel as we buzz around day to

day, taking joy in living in a place that still fulfills our

senses. We dont have to travel hours on end to seek

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. And yet,

this place we call home is still so vulnerable. With

this lies my commitment 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 are in jeopardy, and our quality of

life--the heart beating through this regionis being

swiftly gobbled and transformed irreversibly. The

time is ripe to work with one another to conserve and

protect our lands through Southeast Idaho. By work-

ing together with landowners, community organiza-

tions, and others committed to good stewardship, we

have the chance to protect this region and the lands

we all love and enjoy. Thanks for your support of your

local Land Trust. I hope to see you at our spring and

summer events!


3/8

Thanks to those that have already donated to the fundraiser...

New Members Welcome!

$20 individual

$35 couple$40 family

Land Trust Members

$18 individual$30 couple

$35 familyDoors and silent auction open at 5pm. Musicstarts at 6pm & dinner served at 6:30pm.

Auction closes at 8:30pm.

At evt A Tckts $20

For more information, or to be a sponsor of the event, call

208-241-4662 oremail [email protected]

GREAT OUTDOORS

SECOND ANNUAL FUNDRAISERPas j us f a ack f ab

d, b ad , a st auct,

gat v usc, ad kds actvts.

Come and enjoy the great outdoors while

supporting a great cause!

Live Music by

Steelhead Redd!

Thursday, July 8 6pm

The event is 6 miles up Mink Creek Roadpast intersection of S. Bannock Hwy and

Portneuf Road.

Tickets At the Ravens Nest & the Pocatello Co-op

Ticketsat

TheRaven

sNest

Advac Tckts

LadyBird Farms

Ace Hardware

Costco

Vital Ground

Hailey Paint

Barries Sports

Henrys Hair Design

ISU Outdoor Program

The Paperwork Place

Town and Country Gardens

Juniper Hills Country Club

Pocatello Co-op

Trilium Bed and Breakfast

Intermountain Distributing

Rocky Mountain Environmental

Pocatello Parks and Recreation

Land Trust Board Members

Individual Contributions

Pebble Creek Ski Area

Electric Service

Scotts Ski and Sports

SLT Graphics

T-Shirts Plus

Idaho Unlimited

The Ravens Nes

The Bag Lady

KZBQ

KORR

&the

PocatelloCo-op


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Land Projects

4

Last December, the Land Trust closed its firstconservation easement in Bannock County! The

282-acre conservation easement sits along Rapid

Creek amid rolling agricultural fields, woodedhillsides, and aspen and maple groves that yield

spectacular fall color displays all providing critical

habitat for foothill wildlife as well as scenic open

space.

In late December 2009 Sagebrush SteppeRegional Land Trust accepted the donated con-

servation easement, which will protect the family

property from development, and ensure that con-

servation values are protected forever. Along with

reducing subdivision and excessive development,the conservation easement also prohibits harmful

activities such as grading, dumping, and mining,

while allowing for the continued agricultural use,

which has historically included farming and ranch-

ing. The property will remain under the ownershipof the landowners and will be managed to protect

important riparian habitat along Rapid Creek.

Flying Elk Conservation Easement

See more online!sagbushadtust.g

113 Additional Acres Protected in

Cove Conservation Area

Two Projects in 2009 Protected 396 acres!

The Land Trust is excited to announce the

protection of 113 acres just across the river from

the Land Trusts Kackley Preserve and adjacent to

other Land Trust conservation easements along the

Bear River. This new conservation easement addsto the Cove Conservation Area and protects the

areas diverse open space values, including riparian

areas along the Bear River, wetlands and springs,

as well as prime agricultural and ranch land. The

project continues the broader conservation of landsin the Bear River Drainage aimed at protecting

and improving habitat for Bonneville Cutthroat

Trout and countless other species. The conservation

easement allows the landowners to continue tradi-

tional farming and ranching, but forever prohibitsdevelopment, harmful land uses, and activities on

the property. In cooperation with the landowner,

fences were built along the river and surrounding

natural springs to exclude cattle, and new watering

systems were constructed to move cattle away fromthese sensitive areas.

View DeTAileD mAP AT

sagbushadtust.g


5/8

old. Utah juniper may live as long as 650 years and begi

produce seed only when about 30 years old. The seeds along-lived that, in one study, 17% of Utah juniper seeds g

nated after 45 years.

Junipers are very drought tolerant. They can push aroot deep into the soil, but it is the lateral roots, which ex

as far as 100 feet from the tree and just several inches below

surface, that collect most of the trees needed moisture.If you are fortunate enough to have native junipers ar

your home, remember that they are very flammable. So

them a safe distance from your homes structure. And rember that they do not need, nor appreciate, extra water.

By Sandra Thorne-Brown, a LandTrust member and active volunteer, as

well as a Tree Commission member and

urban forester. She has volunteered her

time helping with everything from eventcoordination to easement monitoring and

baseline documentation. Thanks Sandra

for your contribution to the Land Trustslasting sucess!

ur Regions Native Junipers

If one tree defines Pocatello it would have to be the juni-er. Junipers dot our hillsides and push against homes sprouting

n their territory. They are so common that we take them for

anted, but junipers are interesting trees. Junipers are oftenalled cedars a good example of just how confusing common

ames can be. True cedars are in the Pine family. Junipers are

n the Cypress family.Two species of tree-sized junipers are native here. Utah

niper (scientific name Juniperus osteosperma) is the most

ommon. It is a stiff, stubby tree. The scale-like leaves feeloarse like potscrubbers. The berry-like cone (which takes

wo years to mature) contains one and sometimes two seeds.

cratching the blue blush from older cones exposes a reddishrown cover beneath.

Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) has a finer-

xtured appearance, but the branches feel pointed and prickly.ach berry-like cone holds two seeds sometimes one. Because

ocky Mt. juniper generally bears male and female cones on

parate trees, berries will be found only on the female trees. Itas a larger range than any other juniper species in the West,

ut it is not as common around Pocatello as Utah juniper. The

ursery trade has developed many varieties of Rocky Mt. juniper

ncluding Skyrocket and Wichita Blue.Both junipers grow slowly. Rocky Mt. Juniper grows 0.79

nch in diameter per decade until it reaches 170 years old.hereafter the growth rate declines to a rate of 0.255 inch in

ameter per decade after 250 years of age! Utah juniper reaches

5 feet tall, and Rocky Mt. juniper rarely exceeds 35 feet.

Rocky Mt. juniper typically lives 250-300 years, althoughOld Juniper in Logan Canyon is believed to be 3,000 years

Home Range

Eliza Hasselquist and Sandra help monitor ea

Foreground: Juniper loaded with berries. Background:

Henderson Conservation Easement along the Bear River withhe northern Wasatch mountains beyond.

Get

InvolvedVolunteers are

to our success, a

there are oppor

ties in almost ev

aspect of the wo

we do. Its a gre

way to get outsi

meet new people, and help protect the special places

that make this a wonderful area to live . There are m

ways to be involved. If you are interested in offering

knowledge and skills in any capacity to help protect l

in southeastern Idaho, please contact us! Opportuni

are available in land stewardship, events, fundraising

publicity, and office projects. You can also serve on

Board or a committee.

Contact us to learn more about volunteering!


6/86

Other HappeningsExecutive Director Celebrates 2 Years

The service area of the Sagebrush Steppe Regional

Land Trust covers the 7 southeastern counties of Idaho:

Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou, Franklin,

Oneida, and Power. This is a lot of land for one LandTrust, and our conservation planning process is helping

to guide our efforts to achieve meaningful conservation

of our regions valuable natural resources. It will also

help us avoid postage stamp conservation, or isolated

conservation projects. Conservation planning is a toolfor land trusts to identify high priority lands for con-

servation within our service area. To do this, the Land

Trust goes through a process that identifies conservation

targets, like protection for threatened species, working

lands, and historical community values.The Land Trust started its conservation planning

throughout our service area back in December in

Soda Springs. This meeting brought together resourceexperts in the Blackfoot and Bear River watersheds to

identify critical wildlife habitat, farms and ranches, andkey community resources (like public access). In late

February we held another meeting to identify priority

areas in the Portneuf River Basin. Currently, we are

analyzing the information gathered from the resource

experts across southeastern Idaho to develop an inte-grated conservation plan. This plan will not only iden-

tify spatially the key private lands for conservation, but

also strategies to achieve our conservation goals. This

Conservation Planning

includes identifying funding sources and cultivat-

ing partnerships, finding landowners interested involuntary conservation easements through increased

outreach.In the next few months, Heidi Albano, who has

been volunteering for the Land Trust for over a year,

will be working through all the data weve gatheredand putting together a report. Thanks to a grant

from the Heart of the Rockies initiative in support of

this planning process, she will get a little compensa-

tion for all her hard work!

It has been a great two years for me, and for theLand Trust! Thanks to the support of our community

and our conservation partners, I have already complet-

ed 5 conservation projects that protected over 1,000

acres. Our 2009 annual giving campaign doubled thecontribution projections for renewing members, andtripled those of new members. These donations are

critical to the work of the Land Trust and keep me

employed, so thank you!!! Last year contributions

made up about 15% of our 2010 operating budget and

support our ongoing ability to protect wildlife habitatand working lands in Southeastern Idaho.

More recently, I have been happy to welcome 2 new

Board members, Lisa Safford and Jessica McAleese.

I am thrilled to add their knowledge, expertise, and

motivation to the work of the Land Trust.Over the past two years, I have really enjoyed being

back in southeastern Idaho. From the landowners Ihave worked with, to the people I have hiked, biked,

and backcountry skied with, thank you all for making

my time in southeastern Idaho so meaningful. Thisspring, I have settled in for the long haul by remod-

eling my house and planting a garden. Here is to

another two years of conservatio success stories!

Joselin enjoys the great outdoor recreation

acoress Southeastern Idaho


7/8

Looking for a Lasting Way to Contribute?Planned Giving may be for you...

By participating in our planned giving program, you can create

legacy. By remembering us in your Will or Trust, you can be

that we will be able to continue protecting and restoring the so

ern Idaho lands you love. Planned giving is a great way to in

future of your local land trust. Please contact us if you are in

in learning more. If you have already put the Land Trust in yo

please let us know so we can thank you in your lifetime.

You Can Also Donate Online! Safe and Sec

www.sagebrushlandtrust.org

hanks to those that contributed since Fall Newsletter in 2009!0,000 - $24,999

eart of the Rockies Initiative

ilburforce Foundation

5,000 - $9,999

nonymous Donor

he Norcross Foundation

,000 - $4,999

nonymous Donor

he Land Trust Allianceavid and Pam Maguire

aguire and Penrod

Pocatello Attorneys

onsanto

m and Bonnie Shaw

abette Thorpe

Walmart

500 - $999

ob and Jude Flandro

m and Jessica Lindstromruce Smith

250 - $499

len and Mary Eng

m Flandro

an Hansen

ne Heilman

att Lucia

om Lucia

eb Mignogno

ck Nordsethndrew and Susan Pierson

uriel Roberts

ocky Mt Environmental

avid and Stella Sandquist

ichael Thomas and

Alissa Salmore

00 - $249

ale Azevedo

ance and Karen Bethke

Kate Delate and Bob Bloxham

Randy and Becky Budge

Peter and Cathy Frischmann

Frank and Judy Harmon

Gene and Sue Ann Hoge

Floyd and Ruth Johnson

Dr. Paul Link

Ralph and Jackie Maughan

Muriel Roberts

Matt and Hannah Sanger

Bud and Ann SmalleyRobert Brown and Sandra

Thorne-Browne

Congregational United

Church of Christ

United Way of Southeast Idaho

Charles Williams and

Rosemary Smith

Rick Williams

$50 - $99

Ben and Heidi AlbanoGuy and Vicki Anderst

Carl Anderson

Fred Belzer

Larry Ghan

Clyde and Lee Ann Gilbert

Joan Hansen

Niles and Eliza Hasselquist

Patricia Isaeff

James and Sharon Manning

Wayne and Judy Minshall

Greg MladenkaDana Olson

Dick and Donna Sagness

Pete Savage

Dr. Chuck Trost

Nick and Tacia Tsakrios

$49 and under

Sandi Arena Fisher

Richard and Peggy Garvin

Matt Germino

Daniel and Melissa Green

Byron Kelley

Steve and LeAnn Kenison

Richard Knudson

Michael and Dorothy Lower

Jane Matkins

Kayo Robertson

Fred and Carol Stirling

Alicia Tauscher

Richard and Pam Tucker

Martha and Paul WackenhutKevin and Pamela Ward

In Kind Contributions

Ace Hardware

Alpine Enterprises

Bruce Brown

Kate Delate and Bob Bloxham

Costco

Niccole Fuhriman

Glacier Graphics

ISU Outdoor ProgramJuniper Hills Country Club

John and Carol Matkins

Ellory Maughan

Steelhead Redd

Town and Country Gardens

Turn It Up Productions

Planned Giving and Bequests

Priscilla Hearst

Every eort has been made to ensure accurate representationo contributions. I you fnd an error, please let us know.

A Very Special ThanTo All Our VolunteeHeidi Albano

Boy Scout Grand Teton Tro

Kate and Bob Delate

Cathy Frischmann

Eliza Hasselquist

Karl Holte

Bob and Jude Flandro

John and Carol Matkins

Ellery Maughan

Rick NordsethDana Olsen

Clark Parker

Muriel Roberts

Alissa Salmore

Bruce Smith

Peggy Stolworthy

Sandra Thorne-Brown

Steelhead Redd

Dr. Chuck Trost

Land Trust Board Members

Lance BethkeBill Davidson

Marjanna Hulet

Tom Lucis

Jessica McAleese

Deb Mignogno

Garry Ratzlaff

Lisa Safford

Babette Thorpe


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Printed locally on recycled paper

NON-PROFIT ORg

U.S. POSTAgE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 51

POcATEllO, ID

Acres Permanently Protected With Your Support: 1,940

Summer 2010

PO Box 1404, Pocatello ID 83204(208) 241-4662

[email protected]

www.sagebrushlandtrust.org

Welcome New Board

Members...Page 2

Upcoming Events

...Page 3

Our Nativ

Junipers...Pa

Land Project

Update...Page 4IN THIS ISSUE:

ssrlt summer 2010 nwslttr

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