None The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming Press Releases Search All Press Releases Pam Dewell Phone: (307) 335-2133 E-mail: pdewell@tnc.org

Easement Donated to Conservancy

Dubois, WY—December 2, 2003—One hundred and thirty-five acres have just been placed under a conservation easement donated to The Nature Conservancy by Dr. Marian Neutra and her sons. Purchased as seven parcels several years ago, the Neutras wanted to make sure that the acreage most crucial to wildlife would be protected in perpetuity.  The terms of the donated conservation easement will help to ensure the property remains the natural area it is today. 

"Our goal in placing a conservation easement on this portion of our property was to protect the land most important to the movement of wildlife from the Shoshone National Forest to the forested mountain," Dr. Neutra said, adding that the property is a "haven for deer in winter."  The Neutras plan to cluster building on the property in order to maximize open space and preserve wildlife migration corridors.

The Neutra property lies within the Upper Wind River Landscape, approximately 1.86 million acres identified by the Conservancy as a "priority action area" in urgent need of conservation action to enhance the viability of the fish and wildlife present within them. The Upper Wind River Landscape is a conservation priority because it provides transitional habitat between the coniferous forest and lower elevation sagebrush-grassland, encompassing a key migration corridor for large ungulates as well as extensive riparian (riverfront) habitat.  "The Neutra property is a piece of the puzzle that, in concert with other Conservancy projects in the area, will ensure protection of larger ecological communities," said Randy Craft, Conservation Project Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy.

Development of the Neutra property, which the family saved from subdivision, would have fragmented critical winter range for deer and a migration route for elk.  Fragmentation, the splintering of natural habitats into small, isolated islands, has been identified by Conservancy scientists as the greatest threat to wildlife that are critical to Wyoming's heritage, economy and quality of life. The Conservancy focuses on "direct action" -- working to conserve important lands through partnerships with a diverse array of landowners.  Conservation easements are one of the tools employed to preserve open space and keep key habitat intact.

The Nature Conservancy currently holds conservation easements on six properties in the Dubois area and owns the former Eastman and Winchester Ranches, and the old Louisiana-Pacific Sawmill.  The Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy pays taxes on all property it owns in the states of Wyoming and South Dakota.  The mill site is now the home of a public fishing easement, a log homes business, the Dubois Western Activities Association and the new health clinic through unique collaborations with those entities, Wyoming Game and Fish and the Town of Dubois.  The Conservancy recently granted a permanent right of way to the Town of Dubois providing access to the town's water treatment facility adjacent to the mill property.