Urban growth underscores group's preservation goal

DRIGGS (AP) - Balancing Idaho's urban growth with protection of its natural habitat and agricultural land is taking on increasing importance.

Between 2000 and 2009, Idaho's population growth was the nation's fifth fastest, according to U.S. census data.

Urban centers such as Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Boise and Coeur d'Alene showed the biggest outward expansion into surrounding private land.

But Idaho's picturesque wildness, plentiful wildlife and rivers brimming with fish, as well as its boundless farm fields and pastures, remain among the state's most recognizable features. Despite all its recent urban growth, Idaho continues as one of the nation's top wheat, barley and potato producers.

In an effort to find balance between competing interests, land trusts and conservation groups began springing up across the state in the early 1990s. The groups were formed by farmers, ranchers and ecologists who were concerned about the increasing effect of urban growth on fish and wildlife.

Today, the Driggs-based Teton Regional Land Trust, founded in 1990, is one of the state's largest and oldest conservation groups.

"Our mission is to preserve open spaces, scenery and recreation opportunities ... for future generations," Executive Director Chet Work said. "But it is also about preserving wildlife and ... areas of cultural significance."

The nonprofit group seeks to protect private land amid 7 million acres of natural habitat and farmland within Bonneville, Jefferson, Fremont, Madison, Clark and Teton counties, as well as the Teton Valley in western Wyoming. About half of its coverage area is federal and state land, but the nonprofit doesn't advocate for public land. Instead, the group focuses its effort on preserving private land.

Preserving agricultural land is as important as protecting natural habitat, Work said.

"The goal is not to remove agriculture ... For generations we've farmed and ranched these fields and shared the land with wildlife," he said. "The biggest threat to habitats are subdivisions. If you fill a property with roads, houses, fences and dogs ... it loses its value to wildlife."

Most conservation efforts focus on eastern Idaho's waterways - the Henry's Fork, the Teton River and the South Fork of the Snake River.

"Ninety-five percent of the wildlife in Idaho depends on the water that makes up only 5 percent of (Idaho's habitat)," Work said. "It makes it pretty easy to decide where we want to work."

The land trust seeks to establish conservation easements with landowners. The legal agreement separates development rights from private property in the same way water or mineral rights are split from the land.

In essence, the land trust pays farmers and rural landowners for sole development rights. The owners sign an agreement prohibiting any major building on the property or sale of the land for residential or commercial development. The agreement remains with the land, regardless of who owns the property.

The price tag is less than a property developer might offer to purchase the land, but easements frequently range into the millions of dollars. Price is based on property appraisals, taking into account restrictions on residential and commercial development.

Easements are a good arrangement for growers who want to protect farms for future generations, as well as growers who need money but want to continue farming, Work said.

Swan Valley farmers Delbert and June Winterfeld cited both reasons for securing an easement on 160 acres with the Teton Regional Land Trust.

"The only thing the easement does is put restrictions on development, but I could get money for the property and I still own the land and I can farm it," Delbert Winterfeld said. "I've been farming this land all my life, and I enjoy seeing it as it is."

The land trust often applies for and obtains government grants to purchase easements, Work said. So far, the Teton Regional Land Trust has enacted easements with 135 property owners covering some 30,000 acres in eastern Idaho. Easements range in size from 10 to 2,500 acres. The trust also has purchased 180 acres itself but prefers using easements.

"We like farmers and ranchers to continue maintaining their properties because they are better at it than us," Work said. "If they can continue making a living without impacting wildlife, that is the ideal situation."

As part of the agreement, the trust inspects the properties annually and performs wildlife management studies on the effectiveness of easements. The group also partners with landowners to build fences to prevent overuse by livestock or wildlife. Weed management and planting habitat-enhancing plants such as willows along waterways are other areas of collaboration.

One of the biggest easement benefits is the effect on wildlife, Winterfeld said. He also has easement agreements with the Bonneville Power Administration stemming from construction of the Palisades Dam. Those easements preserve habitat for wildlife displaced by the dam.

"We have a lot of sharp-tailed grouse, elk and deer, and they are a great benefit to my farm," Winterfeld said. "I like to see the animals, I've seen them all my life ... it's one of the rewards of living here in eastern Idaho."