ssrlt spring 2009 nwslttr

8/8/2019 SSRLT Spring 2009 Nwslttr

1/8

A publication of

Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land TrustPO Box 1404, Pocatello ID 83204

(208) [email protected]

www.sagebrushlandtrust.org

Letter from Executive Director,Joselin Matkins

When I took the position as Executive Director in June 2008, I

was eager to get involved in land conservation in Southeastern

Idaho and excited to bring my skills to the Land Trust. Early

this summer, the Land Trust obtained an outreach and devel-opment grant from the Heart of the Rockies Initiative. This

grant helped us put together our first annual membership mail-

ing, funded our fall celebration, and has already led to over

115 new and renewing members! This winter, we obtained a

matching grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

and The Nature Conservancy that funded the creation of ournew website, the development of our 5 Year Report, and this

springss upcoming stakeholder meetings. Altogether, these

grant funds have helped the Land Trust meet the challenges

of a rapidly developing organization.To meet our challenges in this uncertain economy, we are

investing in our future by remaining a lean, but steadily devel-

oping organization. We are working hard to keep our over-

head costs down, while we strive to expand our services and

conservation efforts. Our biggest challenge in the next fewyears is to transition from the original grant funds obtained

to hire an Executive Director into an organization supported

annually by our community partners. While the donations

received in 2008 far exceeded our expectations, we are relyingon increased community support to meet our budgetary obliga-tions as we move forward.

Continued on page 4

Winter/Spring 200

Newslette


2/82

Without the vision and deter-

mination of our founding

Board member, Bill Davidson,the Sagebrush Steppe Regional

Land Trust would not be pro-

tecting the irreplaceable land

we love today. Bill Davidsonwas born and raised in Ashton,

Idaho. An Army veteran dur-

ing Korean War, he graduated 1960 from University

of Idaho with BS in Wildlife Management before

working for the Idaho Fish and Game Departmentfor 29 years. After retiring in 1989, he became a

licensed Realtor and started Davidson Consulting

Corporation (DCC) specializing in wetland evalu-

ations, land use planning, mitigation projects, otherrelated things.

During Bills tenure with the Idaho Fish and

Game Department, he worked in nearly every region

in the state of Idaho and came to realize how impor-

tant private lands are to wildlife. For instance, 40%

of all mule deer winter range is on private land. Herecognized how conservation easements might pro-

vide an opportunity for farmers to make some extra

money off their land in ways other than by selling

their land to developers. He began speaking with

individuals who shared his concern for vanishingopen spaces, and he decided to pursue starting a land

trust covering the 7 southeast Idaho counties not yetcovered by a land trust. Bill had the knowledge and

the background to move forward despite those who

discouraged him by saying the area was too large,

there were no funds available, and the process

would take too long. He refused to accept thoseroadblocks and pushed forward.

In the year 2000, the process was started inearnest and extensive Independent research was

begun. Paula Jones of the NCRS was an invaluableasset since she worked with other land trust agen-

cies of Idaho. Bill attended a workshop sponsored

by the Teton Valley Land Trust; contacted land

trust organizations from around the nation; worked

with Pocatellos city mayors, and with RobertChambers; met with County Commissioners of all

7 southeast Idaho counties to enlist their support;

held public information meetings; and was fortu-

nate to recruit from those meetings many of the

individuals who would go on to become membersof the Oregon Trail Land Trust, later named the

Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land Trust.

Bills personal statement is this: My great

love for Idaho and its wildlife has always been a

driving force in my life and in the lives of my fam-ily. Simply stated, if wildlife dont have places to

live and habitats to support them, they simply can-

not exist. Large acres of public land do not provide

enough critical habitat so it is up to us to help pri-

vate landowners so they can help us, in return, byprotecting spaces where wildlife can live and flour-

ish. Idaho has been discovered so our challenge is

greatand time is of the essence.

Who We Are

Ellery Maughan was

born in Pocatello Idaho.

She grew up exploring

Idaho with her family onfishing trips along the

Salmon River, visiting

the great Frank Church

Wilderness, enjoying rec-reational trips around the Pocatello region includingScout Mountain, and Portneuf River area, to name

a few. These places provided her with a base for her

artistic work. The experience of being in nature has

always been an important part of her life. Not only

from an artistic stand point, but from a personal oneas well. She says, Standing in a field of wildflowers

or sitting next to a river becomes an inner and outer

journey of discovery. Its an experience that uplifts

Board Feature: Bill DavidsonBy Jean Davidson

and refreshes my spirit, one that sharpens my aware-

ness and appreciation, inspires, heals and reconnects

me with life. The magic is that the light, color,

shape, sound, texture and tranquility of our natural

world stays with me long after Ive returned home. Icant imagine a world without these natural places

or the people that work to protect them. To learn

more about Ellery and see more of her work visit ourwebsite at www.sagebrushlandtrust.org

Member Spotlight


3/8

As Pocatello grows the land around us changes for-

ever. Sometimes this can seem to happen overnightas new roads, houses, and commercial developmentsabruptly alter our landscape. Other times it may be

subtle, occurring over years before we recognize that

weve lost farmland, forestland, historical places,

wildlife corridors and other open spaces. Yet, many

communities across the country are choosing toanticipate and accommodate growth in a way that

meets their environmental, economic, and social

needs of the community. While many of us are

proud to call the Gate-City our home, we also know

that our valley is experiencing change and manygrowth-related challenges. In fact, the population

of Pocatello is expected to grow by 10,000 residentsto almost 62,000 people in the next 12 years. With

this growth comes a variety of impacts, many of

which are related to the loss of open spaces withinour community.

Chartered by the Pocatello Mayors office, the

mission of the Pocatello Open Space Advisory

Committee is to identify open space and to promote

and coordinate activities to conserve and maintainthese lands through planning, acquisition, educa-

tion, and good stewardship. Our vision is to work

together as a community to identify those natural,

cultural, aesthetic, agricultural, and urban resourcesthat warrant protection in an effort to preserve ourenvironment in manner that results in a high quality

of life for present and future generations. The com-

mittee seeks to work collaboratively with willing

landowners to preserve and protect our open spaces

within the valley and provide access to open spacesfor all to enjoy.

The Committee represents a diverse representa-

tion of citizen members with a range of interests and

expertise in land issues, all with a keen apprecia-

tion for the implications of land development. Asdevelopers and builders, public land managers, pri-

vate landowners, recreation and wildlife enthusiasts,non-profit representatives and other stakeholders,

members of this collaborative effort strive to bridge

political divides that have typically stymied pro-ductive actions toward strategic, coordinated land

development and conservation.

In 2008, the Committee began a partnership

with a non-profit consultant, the Center for Green

Space Design (CGSD), to develop an Open SpacePlan for the City of Pocatello that will define and

delineate areas valued for their open space charac-

ter and make recommendations on how to achieve

long-term conservation of those open spaces. The

Open Space Plan will create a realistic and imple-mentable set of actions that can be segued with on-

going development. Two public workshops held onOctober 21 and October 29, 2008, in which several

members of the Land Trust participated, enabled

citizens to map their own important places for

conservation on base maps. They were then asked

to map where projected growth could occur outsideof areas they designated for preservation. There

was a great turnout of community participants

demonstrating that open space preservation is an

issue which is important for many in the communi-

ty. Once the Plan is complete, it will be presentedto the City Council for adoption.

The Committee believes that a system of open

spaces or green infrastructure will be amenity

which will make the City a more attractive place

for economic development and increased prosper-ity. The main obstacle to finding strategies to

implement a system of open space is creating com-

munity awareness, support and public participationin implementing open space protection goals.

Many see open space goals as being in opposi-tion to development goals and as a direct threat

to their livelihood. This lack of understanding

spurs controversy when development and land

values collide, but also creates a disconnect in

policy development and land use regulations. TheCommittee is committed to the belief that open

space preservation can occur while the community

continues to grow and prosper.

Check out the wo

of all our partnersonline by visiting o

new website at

sagebrushlandtru

CommunityThe Pocatello Open Space CommitteeBy Jessica McAleese


4/8

More News

4

Stakeholder Meetings

This April and May, the Land Trust will be

reaching out to all 7 counties within its service

area. We will be meeting with county commis-

sioners and city and county government leaders,

landowners interested in protecting their land,our state and federal agencies charged with

managing our natural resources, and with all

other interested community members. We are

interested in letting you, our stakeholders, know

what we are up to, and what role we can play inhelping protect our regions high quality of life.

We also want to use this opportunity to listen

to what you would like to see for the future of

Southeastern Idaho. Our goal for these meet-ings is to engage people across SoutheasternIdaho that are interested in working together to

protect our wildlife heritage, productive farms

and ranches, and diverse recreational activities

right here in our own backyard. For more infor-

mation about the upcoming meetings, contact Joselin Matkins at 208-241-4662 or visit our

website, www.sagebrushlandtrust.org. Just click

the Stakeholder Meeting link on the homepage

for updated dates and times. We will be visit-ing Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Caribou,

Franklin, Onieda, and Power Counties and hope

to see you there.

The Land Trust has identified several tan-

gible goals for 2009. Early in the year, we are

launching our new website, sending out our

winter newsletter, and publishing our first prog-ress report which highlights the many accom-

plishments since our inception. During April

and May, we will be hitting the road and reach-

ing out to our service area by holding a seriesof stakeholder meetings. These meeting will

be an opportunity for community members to

learn more about the Land Trust, what role we

play in private land conservation, and how the

members or the community can get involved.We are also working on several conservation

projects in the Bear River watershed and are an

active partner in the Portneuf River Project. To

stay updated on the Land Trusts projects andactivities, visit our new website at www.sage-brushlandtrust.org. We will be updating it regu-

larly with information about our projects and

upcoming activities. Thanks again to everyone

who contributed in 2008. With your support,

2009 can be even better!

Continued from page 1

Letter from Executive Director,Joselin Matkins


5/8

Steppe Species Spotlight: Bonneville

Cutthroat Trout

The Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki utah) is oneof fourteen species of cutthroat trout native to the western United

States. It once inhabited Lake Bonneville which covered much of

Utah, eastern Nevada, and Southern Idaho. Today, what remains

of the Latke Bonneville, the Great Salt Lake is much too salty for

fish. Since the drainage of that lake, the fish has been isolated insmall populations in the headwaters of cool mountain streams and

lakes of what was once the Bonneville Drainage basin.

Like other members of the trout family, Bonneville cutthroats

prefer cool, clean, rivers and streams with well oxygenated water.

Other riparian characteristics they prefer include low levels of finesediment in channel bottoms and well-distributed pools as well as

stable stream banks with abundant, overhanging vegetative cover.

Their diet consists primarily of stream insects, but large individuals

also eat other fish. They spawn in the springtime near the mouths

of streams over gravel beds.The Bonneville cutthroat faces many challenges as it tries

to survive in the American West. Threats to its continued per-

sistence include, habitat damage from livestock overgrazing and

riparian deforestation, predation and competition by non-native

fish (including continued stocking of nonnatives), fragmentationof habitat from barriers to fish passage, entrainment, and thermal

barriers due to dams and water diversions, and aquatic habitat deg-

radation that results in sediment loading, elevated temperatures,

changes to stream structure, and declines in water quality.

Conservation

To succeed, Sagebrush Steppe Regional Land Trus

needs active volunteers to strengthen the heartmind and backbone of Land Trust- in short, SSRLT

will only continue to grow and thrive with the hel

of dedicated volunteers. Volunteering is work, but

is also a chance to meet new people, to socialize, t

spend time on the preserves and to actively engag

in protecting the special places and way of life acros

Southeastern Idaho.

Let us know youd like to volunteer by contactin

Joselin at (208) 241-4662 or email joselin.matkins@

sagebrushlandtrust.org. Include your name, th

type of volunteer work you are interested in and an

other information youd like to share, e.g., interest

or skills. Over the next year, we have voluntee

opportunities ranging from conservation easemen

monitoring and habitat restoration to membershi

development and event planning.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Make Your Contribution by Volunteerin

The Land Trust has protected over 1,000 acres in the BeRiver which flows into the Great Salt Lake. Of these acre

over 300 are along the Bear River and protect and enhan

the habitat along the river for Bonneville cutthroats and oth

native species. We have also protected 600 acres of headwat

habitat that is ideal spawning habitat with a known populatioof the Bonneville cutthroat trout. Funding for many of th

land trust projects in the Bear River drainage is provided by th

Bear River Hydroelectric Projects Environmental Coordinatin

Committee, a stakeholder group that approves expenditure

PacifiCorp Energy hydro project environmental enhancemefunds dedicated to improving water quality and native fish pop

lations along the Bear River in Idaho. There is more inform

tion about this species and others featured on our new websit

www.sagebrushlandtrust.org.


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In the past few years, the Land Trust has protected

over 1,000 acres. Most of these lands are located in

the Bear River watershed, but we also have a project

in the Blackfoot River watershed. In 2009 we are

striving expand our land protection efforts in thePortneuf Valley. To this end, we have actively part-

nered with the Portneuf River Project, a collabora-

tion that includes other non-profit partners like the

Cariboo Conservancy, Trout Unlimited, The Nature

Conservancy, and the Fish and Wildlife Foundation,as well as governmental partners such as the Idaho

Fish and Game, the US Forest Service, the US Fish

and Wildlife Service, and the Idaho Department of

Environmental quality that is working to protect and

enhance the Portneuf River. While there are several

goals of the Watershed project, the Land Trusts roleit is to seek out important lands and work with will-

ing landowners on creative ways to protect their

working farms and ranches.

In coordination with PacifiCorp Energy and theBear River Environmental Coordinating Committee,

we are continuing our conservation efforts in the

Bear River. Funding for conservation projects and

ongoing land stewardship for projects along the Bear

River is provided by the Bear River HydroelectricProjects Environmental Coordinating Committee.

This stakeholder group that approves expenditure

of PacifiCorp Energy hydro project environmental

enhancement funds. These funds are dedicated to

improving water quality and native fish popula-tions along the Bear River in Idaho. Last yearthrough this partnership, we completed a 210

acre conservation easementproject, the Henderson

Preserve, near Riverdale. This project protected

riparian and riverine habitat, as well as a working

ranch. In 2009, we hope to expand on this successalong the Bear River. We are also working on an

upland project near Treasureton Summit. Once

complete, this project will almost double our cur-

rent protected acreage.

Whats NextLand Protection Update

Last August, the Land Trust Board and staff got together

for its 3rd Annual Retreat. Over the course of the last 5

years, the Board members have convened to develop and

discuss their fundraising and strategic plans. This year,we evaluated our successes based on the 2006 strategic

plan and went forging ahead by developing both a 5 Year

Strategic Plan and a 5 Year Fundraising Plan. In brief, we

identified several key focus areas that will help us meet

our mission of protecting natural and working lands inSoutheastern Idaho. Our primary objectives in the years

to come include protecting land and habitat using conser-

vation easements and preserve acquisitions, and ensuring

our financial security by developing a diverse funding base

capable of supporting our growing operations. In additionto protecting land and working towards long-term financial security, we are also investing time and energy in

developing our organization capacity so we remain efficient and capable of protecting and managing lands in

perpetuity. Lastly, we are working to become a leader in protecting Southeastern Idahos high quality of life.

We are committed to working with our community partners interested in protecting our regional heritageby providing our time, skills, and insight to further our common goals. You can find the complete 5 Year

Strategic Plan and our 5 Year Fundraising plan on our website, www.sagebrushlandtrust.org.

Fundraising and Strategic Plans

We will be continuing our conservation efforts along the

Bear River


7/8

Property ToursJoin us this spring for our first property tour for Land

Trust members and Supporters. You can join SSRLT

staff and Board members, along with local naturalist,Karl Holte, as we get out and enjoy the first flowers

of spring.

Weed and SeedIn early summer, we will be holding a work party at

the Robert Lehman Cedar Creek Preserve. We will

be working on weed control and planting native

species along the newly restored Cedar Creek, atributary of the Blackfoot River.

Annual Meeting and FundraiserThis summer will be our Annual Meeting andFundraiser. We havent picked a date, but the event

will feature a lamb feed, donated by a Land Trust

member, a silent auction, and fun for all.

Flyfishing & Float TripAlso this summer, Land Trust member, Matt Lucia,

will take interested community members fly-fishing

along the Bear River. He has also offered a specialfishing float trip on the Bear to be auctioned off at

the Annual Meeting.

Visit Our New Website

Using grant funds from the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, The Nature Conservanc

the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Land Trust is launching its new websFebruary. We hope the new website provides our members and the public useful inform

about our organization, our projects, our conservation tools, and our activities and e

We have included features we will update regularly. The Faces, Places, and Inhab

link on the homepage will feature 3 different stories that are regularly updated. The

link highlight the people that make the Land Trust such a unique community organizthe places link describes those special places we are working to protect. The uniqu

and fauna that make the sagebrush steppe ecosystem their home are examined in the i

itants link. This education feature will be updated regularly, and we would love comminput. If you would us to feature a community member, let us know, and we will featur

story. For the website launch, I nominated local artist Ellery Maughan. I love her dedepiction of our regions flora and wanted to share them with the rest of our members

Activites on the Land

Spring and Summer

Native globemallow

For the first time this year, the Land Trust will be offering several special events.

The production of the Winter/Spring 2009 Newsletter was made possible

with the support of Monsanto Corporation.


8/8

Printed locally on recycled paper

NON-PROFIT ORg

U.S. POSTAgE

PAID

PERMIT NO. 51

POcATEllO, ID

Acres Permanently Protected With Your Support: 1,120

Winter/Spring 2009

N THIS ISSUE:

Mink Creek Canyon

permanently protected

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

[email protected]

www.sagebrushlandtrust.org

Member Spotlight

...Page 2

Upcoming Events

...Page 7

New Web

Launch...Pa

Pocatello Open Space

Committee...Page 3

ssrlt spring 2009 nwslttr

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