Bellevue Triangle Draft As Approved By
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Draft as approved by BCC View from Timmerman Hill: Photo credit - Carol Waller Bellevue Triangle and Foothills Location and Context The Bellevue Triangle and Foothills subarea Creek Preserve, are located here. The many spring-fed encompasses over 236,000 acres of land in in the streams that feed into Silver Creek and the Big Wood southwestern corner of Blaine County. It extends to River form important natural features. Magic Reservoir “Queen’s Crown” - the distinctive promontory between is located in the southwest corner at the confluence of Picabo and Carey - on the east and to the ridgelines the Big Wood River and Camas Creek. south of Croy Canyon and Sharps Canyon on the north. The subarea is accessed by both State Highway 75 and The agricultural area commonly known as the US Highway 20, which along with Gannett Road forms “Bellevue Triangle” is at the heart of this subarea, the “triangle” giving the area its informal name. For surrounded by the foothills of the Smoky and Pioneer many County residents, the iconic view of the Bellevue Mountain ranges and the Picabo and Timmerman Hills. Triangle from the top of Timmerman Hill is a visual “homecoming” as the Triangle’s open and agricultural This subarea includes the small communities of spaces, the sagebrush foothills and the peaks of the Gannett and Picabo. Silver Creek, the world-famous Pioneer and Boulder Mountains come into view. fly-fishing stream, and The Nature Conservancy’s Silver 1 | C h a p t e r 8 – L a n d U s e – Bellevue Triangle and Foothills Land Use Characteristics manages 117,409 acres, primarily for grazing and recreation. Other public land includes 15,190 acres Ownership/Management managed by the Idaho Department of Lands, many leased for grazing. This subarea is unique in the County, having no land There is a greater percentage of privately held land in managed by the US Forest Service within its this subarea than any other - approximately 44% of the boundaries. Only 50% of this subarea is federally total land area (roughly 100,000 acres in about 1450 managed, a lower number than any other subarea in parcels). Blaine County. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 6% Land Ownership/ Management Land Ownership/ 50% 44% Management C h a p t e r 8 – L a n d U s e - Bellevue Triangle and Foothills | 2 Draft as approved by BCC Conservation easements As of 2020, permanent conservation easements exist Ranch easement protects 10,400 acres of ranch land on over 24,000 of the 100,000 acres of privately owned and scenic vistas in the western part of Blaine County. land - nearly 25%. These easements protect working The County’s Land Water and Wildlife Levy Program ranches, scenic vistas, wildlife habitat and much of the has provided financial support to obtain and promote valuable spring-fed Silver Creek complex. Riparian and conservation easements in this subarea. wetland habitat associated with Silver Creek and its tributaries provide habitat connectivity to the adjacent The Land Ownership/Management map below, Silver Creek Preserve. This area includes extensive showing these easements, tells a more complete story wintering grounds for elk, deer, moose, bald eagle and of the protection of the land. Trumpeter Swan. The massive Rinker Rock Creek Land Ownership/ Management - with Conservation Easements 3 | C h a p t e r 8 – L a n d U s e – Bellevue Triangle and Foothills Land Cover This subarea is predominantly shrub (60%) in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains to the west, the Pioneer foothills to the east, and the Picabo Hills and Timmerman Hills to the south. Grassland covers nearly another quarter (24%) of total land area. While cropland comprises only 10%, this land use covers much of the private land area, and the majority of the valley Land Cover by Percent floor. (All remaining) 2%2% 2% 10% Land Cover 24% 60% C h a p t e r 8 – L a n d U s e - Bellevue Triangle and Foothills | 4 Draft as approved by BCC Existing Land Uses found in the foothills areas. Large tracts of land in the western part of the County, off Camp Creek Road, are Agriculture owned by entities out of Gooding and Hagerman for summer grazing. The historic Sheep Bridge, This subarea contains 18,373 acres of prime constructed in 1965 and located just off US Hwy 20 agricultural land on the valley floor. Farms range from two miles west of Stanton Crossing, is still utilized by small specialty crop endeavors to farms of hundreds herders moving their sheep to and from summer of acres in size. Numerous farms and ranches are pastures. family-owned, multigenerational enterprises. Primary crops include barley, alfalfa, hay, seed potatoes and forage blends for cattle and horses. Some of the most progressive crop rotation techniques in the County were initiated at the farms and ranches here. Organic barley grown in the area is of high quality, earning twice the price over conventional malt barley. Beef cattle, horse breeding and equestrian operations are also found in this area. Agricultural trends noted in this subarea include: Larger, more mechanized operations to capture economies of scale Land being purchased by non-agricultural entities Increased use of technology such as no-till production, GPS guidance, drones, soil moisture sensor and others Growing emphasis on protecting watersheds and rebuilding soil health An increase in direct to consumer farming models, including Idaho's only USDA-listed food hub, serving retail customers throughout the County with goods aggregated from over 70 regional producers A local grain mill opened in 2019 and produces Sheep Bridge: Photo credit - Lisa Horowitz 1.5 million pounds of flour annually from local wheat and barley, and is sold wholesale to area Some “agricultural businesses” are allowed through bakeries. the Conditional Use Permit process in the Productive Agriculture districts. Some of these existing Conservation easements play a large role in businesses include a composting business, landscape protecting farmland in this area. contractor, commercial nurseries, stables, pet While most of the agriculture is located in and near boarding, and transportation services. the triangle itself, extensive ranching and grazing is 5 | C h a p t e r 8 – L a n d U s e – Bellevue Triangle and Foothills Residential parcels. These lots are generally organized on a grid pattern with streets and alleys. The Townsite lies just Because this subarea is more agricultural in nature, it west of Gannett Road about seven miles south of has fewer residential “neighborhoods” than the other Bellevue. Like other townsites, the lots are Wood River Valley subareas. There are a few multiple- substandard in size for the R-.4 zoning (many well lot subdivisions and some unplatted areas that are under a quarter acre). Gannett is strictly residential as sometimes referred to as neighborhoods, as well as of 2020, although one lot is zoned General the platted townsites. These are described below, Commercial containing a vacant building. generally north to south. Picabo Southern Star Acres This 18-lot subdivision was platted in 2001. It accesses Platted in 1917 by the Kilpatrick Brothers Company, via Labrador Lane less than one-half mile from Picabo Townsite platted 227 lots within 16 blocks. Bellevue’s southern city limit. All lots are 5 acres. With several re-plats and combinations of lots, there are now 90 Picabo town parcels. A small centrally Bellevue Farms located park is managed by the Blaine County The 1980 Bellevue Farms subdivision includes 30 lots Recreation District. The community also includes a lying between Highway 75 and Gannett Road, few adjacent residential lots in the Picabo Hills accessed via Equus Drive. The lots are generally from Subdivision, along with several non-residential uses 5 to 10 acres in size. lying just north of the old Townsite and along both sides of U.S. Highway 20. Several of the southernmost Griffin Ranch parcels of the old Townsite are in agricultural use. Griffin Ranch consists of Griffin Ranch Subdivision and West Magic three phases of Griffin Ranch PUD Subdivision, all lying directly east off Gannett Road, less than two The small community referred to as West Magic - on miles south of Bellevue. It comprises approximately the west shore of Magic Reservoir - consists of over 70 lots and 8 common area parcels. Two of the 200 lots in Magic Subdivision, Government common area parcels, together roughly 60 acres, are Subdivision, West Side Subdivision and Fred Evans actively farmed. Subdivision. Most of these lots are very small, substandard in size, and many have been combined Freedom Loop area or modified over the years. Many have mobile and Roughly 20 unplatted lots are adjacent to Freedom manufactured homes, and some accommodate Loop road (accessed via Freedom Lane off East recreational vehicles. A large number are seasonal Glendale or Derby Road off Highway 75). These lots cabins. The community lies partly in Blaine County are generally 10 acres and 20 acres in size. and partly in Camas County. The community also includes the West Magic Resort. West Glendale/Poverty Flats This is a rural area with roughly 40 homes and referred East Magic to by many locals as a “neighborhood.” The small community referred to as East Magic - on the east shore of Magic Reservoir - consists of roughly Gannett 75 cabin sites within East Magic Resort and on Originally platted in 1916, the old Gannett Townsite property owned by Big Wood Canal Company. As in plat included 179 lots. With various re-plats and West Magic, these sites are very dense and combination of lots, there are now 68 Gannett town considered non-conforming.