2014 Fall/Winter Newsletter

OPEN LANDS News from the Jackson Hole Land Trust Fall / Winter 2014 Valley Visions “The project’s wildlife values are particularly strong, and its strategic location as an elk migration corridor and connectivity to other protected lands gave this project special significance.” - John Crisp, Resource Forester Connecting the Wild When a corridor of protected land connects elk 1940 totaled over 5,000 acres, split between the Upper Ranch, the winter feed grounds to calving grounds, wildlife numbers multiply. iconic ranchlands lining Highway 390 around Teton Village, and the It’s wild math, literally. To this, add bald eagles, black bears, mountain Lower Ranch, which encompasses meadows along Fall Creek Road lions, mule deer, and the people of Wyoming. Balance this equation and pastures on Munger Mountain. with ranchers leading the charge on this wildlife protection, and you have a winning formula: a new 236-acre conservation easement The Snake River Ranch family has protected almost 3,000 acres on private ranch lands, protecting a corridor for over 200 elk cows under twenty conservation easements with the Land Trust over the that will forever link key habitat along the Snake River to their calving past thirty years, demonstrating their dedication to conservation. grounds on Munger Mountain. This new project is the capstone on The family liaison and driving force for new protection projects has more than twenty years of conservation work by the Jackson Hole been Bill Resor, one of the seven sons of that eleven-year-old visionary Land Trust and a ranching family. and his wife, Jane Resor. One of Bill’s fondest memories of the Lower Ranch is of riding to the summit The Snake River Ranch family, of Munger Mountain with his aunt Ann comprised of the Resor, Hauge, and Laughlin when he was twelve. Laughlin families, owns land at the south end of Jackson Hole rising Bill has an incredible memory and from the Snake River on the northern knowledge of the land spanning flanks of Munger Mountain. The all things great and small, from upper part of the mountain is Bridger- conservation finance and legal Teton National Forest (BTNF) land. intricacies to fencing and seasonal Locals know Munger Mountain as wildlife and plant observations. Bill the backdrop to South Park that recalls when the family first considered provides a kaleidoscope of vibrant conserving the Lower Ranch parcels in fall colors each September. Don’s the 1990s. A 25-acre parcel bordering the Draw – named after an early valley Snake River on the ranch’s northeast homesteader – is a deep, funnel- side at the mouth of Don’s Draw was shaped valley draining the north side proposed for development as a high- of the mountain. Filled with the density dude ranch resort – which protective cover of aspens, shrubs, and conifers, it is the would have completely changed the character of this remote area. centerpiece of the Munger Mountain Corridor Project. Bill approached the Land Trust, which led the charge on a series of transactions to protect the parcel, supported by one of the owners. Family patriarch Stanley B. Resor bought the first piece of the The Resors became the take-out buyers, purchasing the newly Snake River Ranch in 1929, sight unseen, at the enthusiastic conserved 25 acres from the Land Trust. recommendation of his eleven-year-old son, Stan, who had visited Jackson Hole with the Huyler family. The next year, the senior Resor This successful project – a great relief to the Resor family – started began expanding the ranch holdings and operations, which by a conversation between them and the Land Trust about protecting 2 OPEN LANDS Fall/Winter 2014 especially critical for the valley’s elk and bald eagle populations. It is visible from numerous public vantage points, to travelers on the Jansen Gunderson highway and tens of thousands of Snake River users floating from Wilson to South Park. It’s also an important piece of the ranch’s yearling cattle operation. It is the trifecta of wildlife, scenic, and ranching values, and then some: landscape in scale, national and international more acreage on Munger. The Resor, Hauge, and Laughlin families in significance. donated easements on five additional parcels, protecting over 500 acres with the Land Trust from 2002 to 2008 on both sides of upper The Resor family and the Land Trust knew that the FLP funding was Don’s Draw adjoining the National Forest. The parcel that would a “long shot” when the project was created, or at the very least, become the Munger Mountain Corridor Project (Munger Project) a long process. Wyoming had just been approved to participate was left for last, strategically, because it had greater development in FLP in November 2009, and was allowed to submit only three potential – to keep options open. Bill doesn’t know if the family projects for consideration at the national level annually – a highly would have ever actually chosen to sell or develop the land, competitive process. But the Munger Project made the cut from the but thankfully, the success of the Munger Project made that Wyoming side in its first year, in 2010, and all the way through to decision unnecessary. the official national list of proposed FLP projects. However, budgets only allowed for some of the listed projects to be funded, and the In 2010, Land Trust staff approached Bill and his brother John with Munger Project was not one of them. an innovative proposal. If the Land Trust were able to secure funding to purchase some of the value of an easement protecting ecologically The momentum and broad support for the project – and the significant acreage around Don’s Draw, would the Resors be willing collective experience of the partnership – warranted resubmissions to donate the rest as part of a bargain sale easement? Bill and John for FLP funding. Teton County Commissioners, the regional WGFD were immediately on board to work with the Land Trust and other office, BTNF, Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited, and the Snake River interested stakeholders that would soon emerge. A major potential Fund rallied to submit official letters of support. The 2012 submission funding source was identified through the US Forest Service’s Forest was ultimately successful, and the project was awarded $3 million Legacy Program (FLP), and the Munger Project was officially created in 2013 – Wyoming’s first Forest Legacy Project award. Also in 2013, in partnership with the Wyoming State Forestry Division, which the project was awarded a $600,000 matching grant from the acts as the FLP’s lead agency in Wyoming. Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust. “The project’s wildlife values are particularly strong, and its strategic location The conservation values of the land had always been known, but as an elk migration corridor and connectivity to other protected excitement and energy grew as they were analyzed for the proposal lands gave this project special significance. The property’s visual to FLP. The Munger Project represents the completion of a landscape- prominence, proximity to the Snake River, and access it provides scale corridor of protected lands extending from the BTNF lands on to the Jackson Hole valley and the internationally-important Munger, across the adjacent Lower Ranch easements, north to the national parks beyond are also distinguishing features,” said State Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s (WGFD) South Park Elk Feed Forester John Crisp of the project’s national appeal. Ground just across the Snake River from the mouth of Don’s Draw, and to more BTNF lands on the east side of Highway 189/191. With funding successfully secured, the project partners worked to The diversity of habitats include the ecologically-rich Snake River navigate the due diligence required by the FLP, including signing Corridor, rolling sagebrush, and mixed forests. These provide on the WGFD to act as the government-entity easement owner. Bill migration, feeding, and calving for elk, moose, and deer, which saw it as an opportunity to take a new approach to the easement supports predators including bears and wolves. Birds include and management plan for the project, tailored to the land and its everything from raptors to neotropical migrants. The corridor is foreseeable future uses and incorporating lessons learned from >> JACKSON HOLE LAND TRUST jhlandtrust.org 3 operating the ranch through changing times under the various previous easements. “Thirty years ago, our family R Park didn’t anticipate the kinds of uses on the ranch that would make it work in today’s world,” says Bill. “I wanted to build this new easement from the ground up, to protect elk and wildlife habitat and agricultural uses while also specifically allowing for guided outdoor recreation, including hunting, takesflight trail rides, and hiking. People and economics are integral On any given day, Jackson Hole Land Trust board member parts of land conservation.” Scott Pierson estimates that he spends about an hour of his time involved with some aspect of R Park. For anyone that knows Scott This December, all the pieces came together at last to and the work that he does in the valley, this figure is very noteworthy. complete the project. The new Munger Mountain Corridor As principal and founder of Pierson Land Works, Scott leads a easement protects 236 acres of the Lower Snake River successful firm that is entrusted with a diversity of land deals and Ranch for wildlife, ranching, forestry, and private or land projects across the valley. He is also dedicated to serving on a commercial outdoor recreation. WGFD holds the easement variety of boards and committees – his expertise and experience is in accordance with FLP guidelines, and the Land Trust acts sought after.

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