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Nature Conservancy buys land
near Yellowstone
Island Park, Idaho - The Nature Conservancy of Idaho has bought an easement on a ranch west of Yellowstone National Park, preserving 158 acres from development while also protecting the land for cattle grazing, wildlife habitat and open space. The property owned by Gordon and Jane Hunt borders a piece of Henry's Lake shoreline protected by another easement. The upper Henry's Fork has been identified by scientists as a crucial migration corridor for Yellowstone Park wildlife. The Hunt property is used by bald eagles, moose, pronghorn antelope, mule deer and birds. A small stretch of Timber Creek, a tributary to the lake used by trout for spawning, runs through the ranch, which is also used as summer range for cattle. The Hunts said they wanted to protect the natural heritage of the property. “We love that country. We've been there for 50 years, and we just love that place,” said Gordon Hunt. “We like our livestock and wildlife running around, and we didn't want them replaced with a lot of houses.” The Teton Regional Land Trust based in Driggs has preserved more than 14,000 acres of agricultural land and is working on another 6,000 acres in eastern Idaho's growing areas: Teton County in the shadow of the Teton Mountains, the Henry's Fork Basin and the South Fork of the Snake River at Swan Valley. The Conservancy bought the Hunt easement with funds from the North American Wetlands Council and a grant and loan from the Conservation Fund through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Greater Yellowstone Initiative. http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2003/12/24/build/wyoming/60-nature |