Mission & Key Programs
The mission of Wood River Land Trust (WRLT) is: To protect and sustain the treasured landscapes and life-giving waters of the Wood River Valley and inspire love for this special place for generations to come.
Key programs of Wood River Land Trust include:
- PROTECTING & MAINTAINING WILD SPACES & HAPPY PLACES.
- EXPAND PROTECTED AREAS: Prioritize the protection of lands that provide resilience to climate change, wildlife movement, and floodplain preservation.
- SAFEGUARD PUBLIC ACCESS: Promote universal access to protected lands for connection, recreation, and stewardship.
- UPHOLD CONSERVATION EASEMENTS: Ensure conservation values on easement properties.
- ENGAGE COMMUNITY: Employ community planning for conservation and sustainable growth.
- PLAN FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE: Manage public access preserves and conservation easements to contribute to climate change resilience and ecosystem health.
- RESTORING NATURAL SYSTEMS AND CONNECTIONS.
- REWILD THE BIG WOOD RIVER: Restore riverine function and enhance the sustainability of the riparian ecosystem.
- SUSTAIN HEALTHY RIVER FLOWS: Find collaborative solutions for healthy river flows.
- RESTORE CONNECTIVITY: Restore terrestrial connectivity for wildlife movement.
- DELIVERING ON THE PROMISE OF CONSERVATION IN PERPETUITY
- MAINTAIN A FOCUS ON THE FUTURE: Develop the financial strategies to ensure WRLT can act quickly on conservation opportunities and has the funds and capacity needed to meet its stewardship commitments in perpetuity.
- PRIORITIZE PARTNERSHIP: Engage the community and build meaningful relationships in ways that build capacity for the work ahead.
Service Area
Nestled in and around five mountain ranges, Blaine County spans nearly 1.7 million acres of south-central Idaho. The Wood River Land Trust directly serves the local community of Blaine County, which includes approximately 25,000 residents – 73% white, 24% Hispanic or Latino, and 3% other. It is also a popular vacation destination with thousands of visitors annually. However, the Land Trust’s service area is far beyond that. Recognizing that fragmented landscapes isolate and weaken wildlife, disrupting essential natural cycles for our food, forests, and rivers, we understand the importance of protecting not only land within our Valley but also critical areas along animal migratory routes. Each year, our lands team diligently monitors tens of thousands of acres under our care–spanning our expansive service area across 6 counties (Lemhi, Custer, Blaine, Butte, Lincoln, Camas).
Unique in the Transboundary Rocky Mountains
Blaine County sits at the doorstep to massive swaths of public land, featuring iconic vistas. The County’s natural beauty and incredible access to outdoor recreational activities – skiing, fly-fishing, mountain biking, trail running, and more– are key to the community’s history, culture, and economy. Its remote location adds to the appeal.
Water from Galena Summit form the headwaters of the Salmon River–the longest free-flowing river in the lower 48, which runs through the heart of the largest continuous wilderness in the lower 48. The region is home to a diverse array of fish species that rely on the area and a wildlife migration corridor for sage grouse, sandhill crane, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and many other species.
From the alpine forests and lakes in the north to the sagebrush steppe and lava fields in the south, Blaine County encompasses a diverse geographic range. The county is mostly covered in brush and classified as semi-arid; some 60% of annual precipitation falls as snow from November to March. Riparian areas and wetlands are fed and sustained by the annual snowpack, which holds a median peak of inches of snow-water equivalent before running off into the Big Wood Basin through spring and summer.
Project Highlight
The Hailey Greenway spans over two miles and 486 acres, created through a collaborative effort with the community. Over the years, various parcels were carefully pieced together, preserving this vital riverfront open space for people and wildlife alike. The Hailey Greenway has become a beloved community asset right in the heart of downtown Hailey.
