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Nature Conservancy Makes Gift To Idaho: Ritter Island to Become Newest State Park

Boise, Idaho—December, 2006—The Nature Conservancy of Idaho has donated Ritter Island to the State of Idaho to become the state’s newest state park. The preserve will become a unit of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation’s Thousand Springs Complex.

The gift includes more than 300 acres of land, including Ritter Island on the Snake River, two miles of riverfront and some of the most scenic springs and falls in the Thousand Springs area.

The Conservancy has owned Ritter Island since 1986, and has managed it as Thousand Springs Preserve. The island includes a historic rock house and dairy farm built by businesswoman Minnie Miller in 1920.

The facilities remain in excellent condition. The Minnie Miller Falls on the property are the largest intact springs along the Middle Snake River.

The Conservancy’s goal in the Thousand Springs area was to protect the springs and unique wildlife they support. The scenic site has also been a popular recreation area and many visitors have expressed an interest in touring the historic buildings. By donating the property to Idaho to manage as a state park, the Conservancy will ensure the continued protection of the springs and wildlife habitat, while at the same time provide the public with what it wants: more access and interpretive facilities for the history and nature of the island.

 “Our work in the Middle Snake River with members and partners is creating a legacy that all Idahoans will be able to enjoy,” says Laura Hubbard, the Conservancy’s Idaho state director. “I thank all of our supporters over the past twenty years who have made this enduring conservation legacy possible. Because of their support and vision, future generations will be able enjoy the natural beauty, unique wildlife and inspiring human history of Ritter Island.”

Hubbard says this project has only been possible from the start due to the support of partners. “Partnership is always a key part of our conservation work,” she says. “Idaho Power has played a major role since the very beginning of our work at Ritter Island. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation has likewise worked with us on a shared vision for this area. We couldn’t have done this without their support.”

The springs burst out of the canyon walls out of a long journey underground that begins when the “lost rivers” sink into the porous lava of Craters of the Moon. The area provides habitat for a fish species found nowhere else on earth, the Shoshone sculpin, as well as other fish species, raptors, waterfowl, herons, eagles and migrating songbirds.

Thousands visit the island annually for the Thousand Springs Festival, held the last weekend in September. The festival includes artists from around the region, musicians, local food specialties, children’s activities and natural history displays.

The Nature Conservancy has also worked with partners to help create nearby Box Canyon and Billingsley Creek state parks.

“Ritter Island and the other state parks in this region of Idaho will draw new visitors to this special area, contributing to the state’s economy,” says Hubbard. “The Nature Conservancy believes that healthy natural landscapes mean healthy human communities. Ritter Island demonstrates the many benefits protecting a natural treasure have for the residents of the Magic Valley and all over Idaho.”

While there will be a transition in opening Ritter Island, eventually the public will be able to enjoy expanded usage of the island. In the meantime, Nature Conservancy volunteers and a caretaker will continue to work at the preserve and take care of the facilities.