WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CO

LAND ACQUISITION/PROTECTION LAND AND EASEMENT ACQUISITIONS IN FY 2024-25, WRLT PROTECTED THE OLD CUTTERS PRESERVE - A PARCEL IN HAILEY THAT BUFFERS AND PROVIDES ACCESS TO PUBLIC LANDS AND WILL BE MAINTAINED AS A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE OPEN SPACE PRESERVE. WRLT ALSO COMPLETED THE CORRAL FARM CONSERVATION EASEMENT, WHICH PROTECTS 160 ACRES OF PRIME FARMLAND IN CAMAS COUNTY. WRLT ALSO WENT UNDER CONTRACT FOR HAILEY HOT SPRINGS RANCH AND BEGAN THE FUNDRAISING FOR THIS ACQUISITION, WHICH CLOSED IN THE SUBSEQUENT FISCAL YEAR. THIS PROPERTY WILL ADD 2,700- ACRES OF CONSERVATION LAND TO WRLT'S HOLDINGS AND PROTECT CRITICAL WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN HABITAT; MIGRATION CORRIDORS FOR ELK, MULE DEER, AND PRONGHORN; AND PROTECT HABITAT FOR SAGE GROUSE, MOOSE, AND MANY OTHER SPECIES. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IN 2024-25, WRLT CONTINUED TO WORK WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS TO DEVELOP CONSERVATION PROJECTS OVER APPROXIMATELY 9,000 ACRES COLLECTIVELY, THAT WILL CONSERVE WILDLIFE MIGRATION CORRIDORS, RIPARIAN HABITAT, UPLAND GAME HABITAT, CRITICAL SAGE GROUSE HABITAT, PRIME FARMLAND, AND AREAS FOR PUBLIC RECREATION. THESE PROJECTS CAN TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS TO DEVELOP AND ARE STILL IN PROGRESS. COMMUNITY PLANNING EFFORTS IN RESPONSE TO THE RAPID GROWTH AND CHANGE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY, WRLT BEGAN A NEW COMMUNITY PLANNING PROGRAM. INFORMED BY A ROBUST COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT INCLUDED COMMUNITY LISTENING AND VISIONING SESSIONS AND BROUGHT TOGETHER STAFF FROM CITY AND COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY TO DISCUSS ISSUES THAT CROSS JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, THE PROGRAM WORKS TO USE PLANNING TOOLS AS ANOTHER AVENUE TO PROTECT THE NATURAL RESOURCES ON WHICH OUR COMMUNITY RELIES. BULLION STREET CONSERVATION & COMMUNITY HOUSING PROJECT IN 2022, WRLT PURCHASED A 15-ACRE PROPERTY ON BULLION ST, CONTIGUOUS WITH THE HAILEY GREENWAY. PER THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE GIFT, APPROXIMATELY 8 ACRES OF THE SITE WILL BE HELD FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES AND INCORPORATED INTO THE HAILEY GREENWAY (SECURING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE GREENWAY FROM BULLION STREET AND PROTECTING MATURE COTTONWOOD FOREST AND RIPARIAN HABITAT), AND UP TO 7 ACRES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO CITY SERVICES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING. THIS FISCAL YEAR, WRLT CONTINUED TO WORK WITH ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS TO PLAN FOR THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT. THIS WORK IS STILL IN PROGRESS.

RIVER HEALTH & RESTORATION IN FY 24-25, WRLT CONTINUED THE DESIGN AND PLANNING FOR RIVER RESTORATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE HAILEY GREENWAY (HEAGLE PARK SIDE CHANNEL RESTORATION) AND COMPLETED A RESTORATION PROJECT ON ELKHORN CREEK TO CREATE ADDITIONAL FLOODPLAIN CONNECTION FOR THE CREEK. WRLT CONTINUED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HAILEY, BLAINE COUNTY, AND THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT 9 TO MOVE THE RESTORATION DESIGN WORK FOR LIONS PARK AT THE HAILEY GREENWAY FORWARD. 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. IN FISCAL YEAR 2021-22, WRLT CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY OF KETCHUM'S SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO ACQUIRE THE WARM SPRINGS PRESERVE TO FOREVER BE MAINTAINED AS A PUBLIC PRESERVE. THIS YEAR, WRLT CONTINUED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF KETCHUM TO COMPLETE THE DESIGN OF THE RESTORATION PROJECT TO RESTORE 1 MILE OF WARM SPRINGS CREEK AND ITS FLOODPLAIN THROUGH THE PRESERVE. THE CITY IS ALSO PLANNING FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND AMENITIES. CONSTRUCTION ON THE RESTORATION BEGAN IN FY 2025-26. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED A ROBUST MONITORING PROGRAM TO CONTRIBUTE TO BASELINE MONITORING DATA FOR THE BIG WOOD RIVER BASIN: MAINTAINING DATA SENSORS AT MULTIPLE POINTS ALONG THE BIG WOOD RIVER TO COLLECT REAL-TIME TEMPERATURE DATA TO MONITOR AND REPORT ON RIVER CONDITIONS; AND CONTINUING A MULTI-YEAR MACROINVERTEBRATE TREND MONITORING PROGRAM. 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.