Land Conservation
Learn about our private preserves, conservation easements, and projects dedicated to protecting nature.
44
CONSERVATION
EASEMENTS
27,769
ACRES PROTECTED FOREVER
17
PUBLIC PRESERVES ESTABLISHED
Protecting and Maintaining Wild Spaces
& Happy Places
In addition to our public access preserves, we partner with land owners to protect the places that matter most to them through conservation easements under our care spanning our expansive service area— from the Headwaters of the Salmon River to the Little Wood River, and from the Camas Prairie to Craters of the Moon.
While the West has a lot of public land, private lands often provide critical linkages and important habitat that are important to protect to adequately sustain the ecosystem. Privately owned land makes up 60% of the United States, but only 3% is protected for conservation. By partnering with private landowners who share our conservation values, we have protected family farms and ranches that support climate resilience and wildlife movement, conserved key corridors, and preserved floodplains
Land Enhancement Projects
28
ACRES OF POLLINATOR HABITAT PLANTED ALONG AGRICULTURAL LAND
13
MILES OF STREAM RESTORED WITH BEAVER DAMS FOR ECOSYSTEM RECOVERY.
Our Lands Team not only manages preserves and works with private landowners on conservation easements but also leads enhancement projects to improve land health, restore wildlife habitat, and ensure greater accessibility for our community.
Current Projects
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Protect Your Land
We work to ensure that lands acquired or placed under easement are properly conserved and stewarded for the long haul, ensuring their conservation benefits for people and wildlife are forever.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why do landowners protect their land?
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Landowners often feel a deep connection to their land and want to preserve it for future generations. Many worry about pressures from development that could threaten their family’s home, livelihood, or the natural character of their property. By placing a conservation easement on their land, landowners can protect it from development permanently, ensuring it remains available for activities like farming and ranching. Conservation easements can also offer financial benefits, such as potential payments or tax advantages, and may help in estate planning by reducing future tax liabilities.
Ways to protect your family’s land:
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Conservation Easement: A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that limits or prohibits certain uses of the land – like large scale residential subdivision – in order to conserve the natural and traditional values of the land. Landowners grant conservation easements to protect the resources of their property, while retaining the rights of private ownership. The terms of the conservation easement represent a mutual agreement between the landowner and the Land Trust. These types of projects are only carried out k with willing landowners.
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Donating Land: In some cases a landowner may wish to donate their land to the Land Trust outright. When title to the property is transferred to the Land Trust, we accept responsibility for its permanent protection. Landowners can do this during their lifetime or arrange to have it done after their estate is settled. If done during one’s lifetime, the landowner or their estate may qualify for significant tax benefits. If done after the estate is settled (through a will), then a reduced, but still significant, tax benefit may accrue to the estate. Interested landowners should contact a tax professional for information related to this.
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Selling Your Land: In certain situations, the Land Trust may be interested in purchasing title to your land. Depending on your preference, the Land Trust would own and manage the in perpetuity, or place a conservation easement on the property prior to selling it to a conservation-minded buyer to ensure that it remains protected forever.
What are the advantages of working with a Land Trust?
A land trust is a nonprofit service organization for landowners interested in permanently protecting their land. The Wood River Land Trust assists landowners with all phases of the conservation easement process. After a conservation easement is completed and recorded, the Land Trust is the entity responsible for monitoring and enforcing the restrictions the landowner chooses to place on the land. the Land Trust is responsible for ensuring the terms of the conservation easement are upheld in perpetuity, and works with future landowners to maintain the benefit to the public of the conserved property.
Land trusts have many advantages as land protection organizations. One advantage of working with land trusts is that they are very closely tied to the communities in which they operate. They are familiar with the land in the area and often have the trust and confidence of local landowners who may not want to work with entities from outside the area. Moreover, the nonprofit tax status of land trusts brings them a variety of tax benefits. Donations of land, conservation easements or financial instruments may qualify for income, estate or gift tax savings.
How do I Get Started?
Contact Wood River Land Trust. Call our office in Hailey at 208-788-3947 or email info@woodriverlandtrust.org to reach one of our land protection staff. One of Wood River Land Trust’s land protection staff will meet with you to discuss your property and its conservation values, your intentions, and the process for working to protect your property. We will explain how a conservation easement works, what kind of approach is appropriate for the property, and any other conservation options that may be available to you. ​