BLM secures Henry’s Fork conservation easement

With the support of the Teton Regional Land Trust, the Bureau of Land Management has acquired a conservation easement on 65 acres and fee title to 15 additional acres of property along the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

The property is within the BLM’s Snake River Area of Critical Environmental Concern, about five miles south of St. Anthony.

According to the BLM, the property contains Henry’s Fork frontage and wetlands. Private landowners worked with BLM and the Land Trust for many years to develop the agreement. Land and Water Conservation Fund money was used to make the purchase.

The wetland vegetation provides habitat to a number of wildlife species that are designated “species of greatest conservation need” by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The species include Sandhill Crane, Trumpeter Swan and the White-faced Ibis. The landscape ensures connectivity for wildlife moving along the river corridor.

“We have a unique ecosystem on these 80 acres, ranging from cottonwood and other wetland vegetation to sagebrush steppe and pasture fields,” said Jeremy Casterson, Upper Snake Field Manager. “Protecting these acres provides open space and an uninterrupted scenic view as people boat, fish and play along the Henry’s Fork.”