WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CO
PO BOX 7680, KETCHUM, ID 83340 www.woodriverlandtrust.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST PROTECTS AND SUSTAINS THE TREASURED LANDSCAPES AND LIFE-GIVING WATERS OF THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY AND INSPIRES LOVE FOR THIS SPECIAL PLACE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

LAND ACQUISITION/PROTECTION CROY CANYON PROTECTION - FUTURE SIMONS/BAUER PRESERVE IN 2018, WRLT ENTERED INTO A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT WITH THE SIMONS/BAUER FAMILY FOR 118 ACRES OF LAND IN CROY CANYON. THIS ACQUISITION WILL PROTECT THE MOUTH OF CROY CANYON AND 1 MILE OF CROY CREEK AS IT FEEDS INTO THE BIG WOOD RIVER. EXPENSES INCURRED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR INCLUDED DUE DILIGENCE EXPENSES TO MOVE THE ACQUISITION FORWARD. WE CLOSED ON THE PROPERTY IN FY 20-21. GATEWAY RANCH ACQUISITION IN FY 19-20, WRLT ACQUIRED 85 ACRES AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 20 AND HIGHWAY 75. THE GATEWAY RANCH PROTECTS A PORTION OF A MAJOR TRIBUTARY OF THE LOWER STRETCH OF THE BIG WOOD RIVER: WILLOW CREEK. THE PROPERTY CONSERVES RIPARIAN AND WETLAND AREAS THAT ARE HABITAT FOR A VARIETY OF WILDLIFE, AND THE PROPERTY IS WITHIN AN AREA CLASSIFIED BY THE USDA AS IMPORTANT FOR SAGE-GROUSE HABITAT AND RANGELAND PROTECTION. RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH, ENCOMPASSING 10,394 ACRES, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST UNDEVELOPED PROPERTIES IN THE BIG WOOD RIVER WATERSHED. IT WAS CONSERVED FOR WILDLIFE, CLEAN WATER AND PUBLIC ACCESS THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF LOCAL LANDOWNERS, PUBLIC AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. IN JUNE 2016, WE PARTNERED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO'S RANGELAND CENTER AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TO GROW RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH INTO A WORLD-CLASS LIVING LABORATORY THAT SHOWCASES THE INTERSECTION OF CONSERVATION, RANGELAND MANAGEMENT, RECREATION, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. THE ENTIRE ROCK CREEK DRAINAGE LIES SOUTHWEST OF HAILEY AND CONSISTS OF HIGH-QUALITY SAGEBRUSH-STEPPE HABITAT, ASPEN FOREST AND RIVER TERRAIN. THE PROTECTION OF THE AREA ALIGNS WITH STATE AND FEDERAL EFFORTS TO CONSERVE SAGE-GROUSE THROUGH LANDSCAPE-SCALE HABITAT IMPROVEMENTS. THE PROJECT EXPANDS THE BIRDS' PROTECTED HABITAT IN CENTRAL IDAHO'S PIONEER MOUNTAIN CRATERS OF THE MOON AREA TO OVER 80,000 ACRES. RINKER ROCK CREEK IS TRULY A SPECIAL SPOT. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO OTHER RESEARCH CENTER LIKE IT IN THE STATE. LONG VALUED FOR ITS BENEFITS TO PEOPLE AND NATURE, RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH WILL CONTINUE TO BE CONSERVED FOR SAGE -GROUSE AND MANAGED FOR RESEARCH AND PUBLIC USE. IN 2018, WRLT AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ENTERED INTO AN EXCLUSIVE LEASE- OPTION AGREEMENT WITH THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO. IN FY 2019-20 WRLT MAINTAINED ITS ROLE ON THE RINKER ROCK CREEK ADVISORY BOARD AND PROVIDED STAFF SUPPORT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO ON STREAM RESTORATION PROJECTS ON THE RANCH, AS WELL AS CONVERSION OF BARBED WIRE FENCE TO WILDLIFE FRIENDLY FENCING THAT ALLOWS FOR BETTER WILDLIFE MOVEMENT THROUGH THE PROPERTY AND BETTER CATTLE MANAGEMENT. PIONEERS ALLIANCE WRLT STAFF'S COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH THE PIONEERS ALLIANCE HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER RANCHERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO PROTECT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 ACRES IN THE PIONEER MOUNTAINS-CRATERS OF THE MOON LANDSCAPE THROUGH THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE'S AGRICULTURAL LANDS EASEMENT PROGRAM. IN 2019-20, WRLT ACQUIRED A CONSERVATION EASEMENT OVER 520 ACRES OF LAND IN THE PIONEERS TO PROTECT CRITICAL SAGE-GROUSE HABITAT. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON GREATER SAGE-GROUSE POPULATIONS AND WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS TO RESTORE HABITAT ON CONSERVED LANDS.

RIVER HEALTH & RESTORATION BIG WOOD HOME RIVERS INITIATIVE WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST AND TROUT UNLIMITED (TU), IN COLLABORATION WITH A VARIETY OF AGENCY AND PRIVATE PARTNERS, ARE WORKING TO RESTORE THE GLORY OF THE GREAT WESTERN TROUT FISHERY, THE BIG WOOD RIVER. BASED ON THE 2016 STUDY, ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL TO RESTORE DYNAMIC FLUVIAL CONDITIONS THE WRLT AND PARTNERS HAVE BEEN PROVIDING INPUT ON STREAM ALTERATION PERMITS SUBMITTED IN BLAINE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF KETCHUM. THESE PERMITS ARE FOR LANDOWNERS WHO WISH TO ALTER THE RIVER TO ALLEVIATE FLOOD DAMAGE ON THEIR PROPERTY. WE COMMENT ON THESE PERMITS TO STRIVE FOR A BALANCE OF PROTECTING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROTECTING THE RIVER'S HEALTH BY EDUCATING LANDOWNERS ON BEST PRACTICES FOR STREAM REHABILITATION. IN FY 19-20, WRLT CONTINUED THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND PLANNING FOR RIVER RESTORATION PROJECTS NORTH OF KETCHUM (SUN PEAK/HULEN MEADOWS PROJECT), WITHIN THE HAILEY GREENWAY (COLORADO GULCH STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT AND BRIDGE PROJECT), AND IN BELLEVUE (LOWER HOWARD PRESERVE PROJECT). CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS WERE CONTRACTED AND PERMITS, APPROVALS, AND CONSTRUCTION FUNDING WERE PURSUED THIS FISCAL YEAR. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HAILEY, BLAINE COUNTY, AND THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT 9 TO MOVE THE US ARMY CORPS SECTION 206 PROJECT FORWARD TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE RESTORATION OF LIONS PARK AT THE HAILEY GREENWAY. THE GOAL OF THIS MULTI-YEAR PROJECT IS TO RESTORE FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY AND FUNCTION AND MITIGATE FLOODING THAT OCCURS IN COMMUNITIES DOWNSTREAM BECAUSE OF DEGRADED RIVER FUNCTION. WOOD RIVER WATER COLLABORATIVE TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS AT TROUT UNLIMITED AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CONTINUES TO HELP FACILITATE THE WOOD RIVER WATER COLLABORATIVE (WRWC). THERE ARE 75 PARTNERS IN THE COLLABORATIVE REPRESENTING DIVERSE INTERESTS INCLUDING: SENIOR AND JUNIOR WATER USERS, AGRICULTURE, GROUNDWATER DISTRICTS, MUNICIPALITIES, STATE LEGISLATORS, THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, THE IDAHO WATER RESOURCE BOARD, COUNTY AND STATE AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-PROFITS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE WRWC IS TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE WATER USE FOR FARMING AND RANCHING; TO PRESERVE SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE WOOD RIVER WATERSHEDS; AND TO CONSERVE RIPARIAN AND RIVER HABITAT FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE THAT RELY ON THE BIG WOOD RIVER, SILVER CREEK, LITTLE WOOD RIVER AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES. THIS YEAR, WE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH WRWC PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A TOOL THAT COULD ALLOW IRRIGATORS TO KNOW THE PROBABILITY OF WHEN THEY WILL HAVE TO SHUT OFF WATER USE BY THEIR WATER RIGHT DATE. THIS TOOL USES SURFACE FLOW, SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT, SNOW WATER SURFACE INDEX, AND GROUND WATER LEVELS TO MAKE THESE PREDICTIONS. THIS WILL ALLOW IRRIGATORS TO PLAN CROP PRODUCTION MORE EFFICIENTLY.

LAND STEWARDSHIP STAFF MONITORED ALL 43 OF THE WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, TOTALING 13,020 ACRES TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH INDIVIDUAL EASEMENT RESTRICTIONS/LANGUAGE AND TO NOTE ANY CHANGES IN THE PROPERTY. ALL MONITORING DATA, SUCH AS PHOTO POINTS, WERE REPORTED AND ENTERED INTO THE PERMANENT RECORD. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED TO MANAGE AND STEWARD OUR 16 FEE SIMPLE PROPERTIES LOCATED IN AND ADJACENT TO THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY. THESE PRESERVES ARE MAINTAINED IN THEIR NATURAL STATE AND/OR RESTORED TO A HEALTHY LANDSCAPE. STEWARDSHIP STAFF ADDRESSES SUCH ONGOING PROBLEMS AS NOXIOUS WEEDS, TRASH, UNWANTED VEHICLE USE, EROSION AND TRAIL UPKEEP. SOUTHERN IDAHO LAND TRUST IN FY 19-20, WRLT PROVIDED CONTRACT MONITORING SERVICES TO THE SOUTHERN IDAHO LAND TRUST TO MONITOR THEIR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS HELD IN THE MAGIC VALLEY AREA.

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