Important Salmon Habitat Protected in Pahsimeroi Valley

The Nature Conservancy purchases conservation easement that protects one of the valley’s most important ranches for fish, wildlife

May, Idaho — March 24, 2009 — Some of the most important salmon and steelhead habitat in the Pahsimeroi River Valley will be protected and restored due to a recent conservation easement purchased by The Nature Conservancy.

The conservation easement protects 1214 acres of important wetlands, wildlife habitat and agricultural land on the Big Springs Creek Ranch in the Pahsimeroi Valley. The property is owned by Beartooth Capital, an investment partnership that specializes in acquiring and restoring ecologically important lands.

The property includes wetlands, tributary streams to the Pahsimeroi, pastures and irrigated agricultural lands. It is used by sage grouse, songbirds and a variety of big game animals.

“This is truly a wildlife paradise,” says Mark Davidson, the Conservancy’s Central Idaho conservation manager. “By working with Beartooth and our agency partners, we’re ensuring that this ranch continues to provide the clean water, beautiful springs and elk and salmon that make the Pahsimeroi Valley a special place.”

The Nature Conservancy worked with local staff from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Land Management in identifying this ranch as one of the most important for salmon in the valley. Funding for the conservation easement purchase was provided by the State of Idaho Snake River Basin Adjudication Habitat Fund and a private foundation.

The conservation easement includes provisions for numerous conservation measures. Three hundred acres of wetlands will be permanently off limits to any extensive use, so that they can continue to provide clean water and wildlife habitat. Three miles of streamside habitat will be permanently protected and where necessary restored along Big Springs Creek, one of the most important tributaries to the Pahsimeroi River for fish habitat.

”Big Springs Creek Ranch is one of the most valuable properties for salmon and wildlife that we’ve had the pleasure to own,” says Beartooth co-founder Carl Palmer. “We are thrilled to be working with The Nature Conservancy, Idaho Fish and Game and many others to improve habitat for salmon, steelhead and other wildlife while improving agricultural productivity and ensuring that the ranch will always be protected.”

Ranching and farming will continue on the upland areas of the property. “Preserving the Western way of life is important,” says Court Smith of the Beartooth team. “We work to balance the needs of landowners, wildlife and the local community on our properties. There aren’t many places left in the world on which you can see salmon, steelhead, trout, elk, moose, deer, ducks, geese and swans all on the same property. The ranch is a remarkable place. And the Pahsimeroi Valley is a great community. We are grateful to have been welcomed by our neighbors in the valley and to have been able to work with them and the Nature Conservancy to help protect this special part of the world.”

This easement builds on other conservation efforts within the Pahsimeroi watershed and ensures future improvement to additional salmon and steelhead habitat. The landowner is committed to improving irrigation practices on the ranch which impact fish migration upstream. Ongoing restoration efforts on this ranch will open up previously inaccessible fish rearing habitat in the river.

Recently, The Nature Conservancy and partners worked together to remove a major irrigation diversion on the Pahsimeroi River, providing for improved fish migration up and down the river. This effort, in addition to habitat improvements at the Big Springs Creek Ranch, will ensure that fish will be able to return to this reach of the Pahsimeroi for the first time in decades.

“This is an exciting time for salmon conservation in the Pahsimeroi,” says Davidson. “By working with landowners like Beartooth and our agency partners, we’re returning miles of river habitat to salmon while still meeting the needs of local ranchers. Projects like Big Springs Creek demonstrate that conservation can benefit both fish and people.”

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.