“I just don’t want to see this valley get all screwed up.”
Joe Tonsmeire, Rancher & LRLT Founding Chairman
While LRLT is still a relatively young organization, we’ve been in existence for long enough that searching through files often yields some treasures. This carefully laminated article was one of those treasures unearthed while searching for neat tidbits to use in the creation of our not-yet-live history page on our website. Originally published in the Idaho Falls Post Register in October 2005, when LRLT was just in it’s infancy, it’s amazing to look back now & see how much has changed & how much things have stayed the same.
“There’s no big bucks here.”
Ten years later, there’s still no big bucks & while we’ve never held a bake sale or a quilt raffle, our Working Lands Celebration, is 100% small town fundraising.
“‘[K]eep your grassroots.'”
Wise advice & something we’ve stuck firmly too. We’re still a 100% local organization & our board & staff lives, works & plays right here in Central Idaho alongside you.
But when it comes to staying the same, we’ve had some big accomplishments in the last ten years. Things that never would have happened if not for years of hard work, dedication & conservation minded landowners.
“The Estates at River Run has been platted on about 130 acres of the former Stephenson Ranch on the Lemhi River.”
Now if you’ve driven Highway 28 in the past ten years, you might be wondering what “high end development” the article is referencing. The subdivision of the Stephenson Ranch never happened & the property was eventually purchased by Nikos Monoyios & Val Brackett of Eagle Valley Ranch. You’ve probably heard us talk about the property. It’s known as the Pine Creek Ranch & was permanently protected via a donated conservation easement in late 2014, making it our 10th permanently conserved property. Instead of becoming a high end subdivision, the property can continue to function as a working ranch, just as it has for years.
And what about the Hayden Creek Ranch where Joe & Fran were photographed?
Permanently protected. Fran placed a permanent conservation easement on the main Hayden Creek Ranch in the summer of 2011 & in late 2014, a conservation easement was also placed on the Geertson Creek portion of the ranch.
As Grassroots As It Gets