Salmon – Selway Landscape Initiative

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Salmon – Selway Landscape Initiative (Morgan Ranch & Pardoe Rodeo Grounds Ranch) IDAHO Salmon-Challis & Sawtooth National Congressional Districts: 01, 02 Valley & Custer Counties Forests Members: Labrador, Simpson

Location Central Idaho, northwest of Stanley Acquired to Date Method Acres Cost ($) Purpose To conserve and enhance ecological integrity, Purchase 23,201 $67,209,5010 wetlands, watershed, scenic, pastoral and fish Exchange 0 $0 and wildlife values within the Frank Church River Donation 50 $0 of No Return (FCRONR) Wilderness, the Main Other 250 $5,000,000 and Middle Fork Salmon River Wild and Scenic Partners 0 $0 (MFW&S) River Corridors, and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) through the President’s Budget FY2012 acquisition of a combination of fee title and Method Acres Cost ($) conservation easements. Purchase 239 $3,500,000 Pending Future Request Purchase Owners of the Morgan Ranch wish to sell a Method Acres Cost ($) Opportunities conservation easement on half of their property Purchase 1,322 $26,470,000 and a fee simple interest on the remainder. Owners of the Rodeo Grounds Ranch wish to sell a conservation easement on their entire property. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) maintains exclusive option rights from both owners.

Trust for Public Land

Partners TPL, the Sawtooth Society, the Nature Conservancy, and the Wood River Land Trust

Cooperators

Project The Morgan Ranch inholding lies within the FCRONR Wilderness on Sulphur Creek, just Description upstream from its confluence with the Middle Fork of the Salmon, which was protected by Congress as one of America’s first Wild and Scenic Rivers in 1968. Along its 18-mile length, Sulphur Creek provides significant spawning and rearing habitat for Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and bull trout – all listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The northwest portion of the property (the proposed fee purchase) contains approximately 60 acres of marsh and forested wetlands along Prospect Creek. With the entire Sulphur Creek watershed located upstream, development of this property could result in sedimentation, irrigation, and/or dewatering and could seriously impact the entire runs of all three listed fish species. In 2004, a Land and Water Conservation Fund acquisition placed federal protections on approximately half the non-federal lands in the Sulphur Creek watershed. Permanently protecting the Morgan Ranch property from development would complete this effort.

The Rodeo Grounds Ranch on Valley Creek is highly visible from the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway and is one of only three large remaining unprotected inholdings within the SNRA. Like Morgan Ranch, the ranch provides critical habitat for Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and bull trout as well as Sockeye salmon listed as “endangered” under the ESA. With its stunning views of the entire Sawtooth Range, the property is extremely vulnerable to subdivision and development. The proposed easement purchase would remove this threat and serve to protect the visual quality and socially important landscapes of the SNRA, helping meet the legislative intent of P.L. 92-400, the SNRA Act. It would also ensure permanent public fishing access to a significant stretch of Valley Creek.

O&M Cost Estimated “start up” costs: $0 Estimated annual maintenance: $ 1,200

USDA Goal To contribute to climate change resiliency and increase carbon sequestration through conservation of National Forest System lands. Protect and enhance Wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and unique habitats critical to fisheries and wildlife from incompatible uses, while providing access, quality outdoor recreation and clean water. To utilize partnerships to affect restoration across ownership boundaries through the purchase of and restoration on replacement lands.

Salmon – Selway Landscape Initiative (Morgan Ranch & Pardoe Rodeo Grounds Ranch)

S F R A N K C H U R C H - R I V E R O F N O R E T U R N 1 0 E 0

S a l m o n - C h a l l i s N S a l m o n - C h a l l i s N a tt ii o n a ll F o rr e s tt R COLD SPRINGS Sulphur Slide E Rapid

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O H A W D S I N L W I L D E R N E3 S S I 3 A 2 I R T Salmon - Selway A N

C Morgan Ranch T R re 5903 ek Fee Purchase Parcel N U U

T O Morgan E Landing Strip Footbridge M

R Mine Footbridge

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I N N N E Salmon - Selway T N Morgan Ranch E F C O M n F Conservation Easement Parcel R I l E D S D o T L c n O E i B L TEEPEE HOLE O U N D

A R O R H Y 6202 A ID Mile E 95 3 5876 Salmon, Idaho 1 0 V 42 15 Wild River Area 5863 I CE NTE NN IAL R Frank Church - River of No Return 001 - Wilderness Area Boat R Ramp E F H 6036 O M RK V BOUNDARY I Dagger C I CREEK D

Vicinity Map D Falls R R L Salmon - S elway E U Legend Morgan Ranch

H Proposed Fee Purchase Parcel FY 2012 LWCF

Conservation Easement Parcel This map depicts USDA Forest Service Land Status Record data C and the approximate location of the proposed purchase parcel. Wild Scenic River Area

Township 14 North, Range 9 East, BSM Wilderness Area State of Wyoming K National Forest System Lands Forest Service Region 4 Bridger-Teton National Forest N

0 0.125 0.25 0.5 The USDA Forest Service Makes no warranty, expressed or implied, A Miles regarding the data displayed on this map, and reserves the right to Map Creation Date - 01/06/2011 correct, update, modify, or replace this information without notification. Map Revision Date - R

F file: c:\(data\lwcd2012\r4\maps\morgan\ Arlene Heap 7350 8481 8561

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7026 r C Spring T 12 N n T 12 N so 8192 p T 11 N m T 11 N o h T

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6841 k k n e e re re w C C o G 7683 c Salmon - Selway a n M n a H Pardoe, Rodeo Grounds Ranch Future Acquisition Parcels SHEEP TRAIL 6563 n so Cre BM 6561 p ek om Th H k O e R N e

r 7433 BM 6527 C

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6878 l l e S A W T O O T H 6555 n n D e Gravel Pit R IV BM 6478 T E W A Y

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C TR reek A IL Cow T e Camp k n e V e n a r e C l l 6541 l l Park Creek e 10 2 Overlook y C k Creek re Salmon P-a rSelway ek N A T I O N A L R E C R E A T I O N A R E A Pardoe, Rodeo Grounds Ranch BM 6432 Ac8q53 uired Parcels

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e A STANLEY CREEK e INTERPRETIVE TRAIL k 6787 Salmon - Selway BM Pardoe, Rodeo Grounds Ranch 6392 Proposed Acquisition Parcel 6495 ey nl 6404 ta BM 6455 S 6412 Gravel Pit Cr Lake eek Gravel Pit E E

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a t BM 6381 S S a w t o o t h S a w t o o t h 1 0 Prospect 2

STANLEY LAKE N a t i o n a l F o r e s t E E Cr N a t i o n a l F o r e s t LAKEVIEW ake 1 2 3 L 0 1 1

V y 2 a BM 6537 R R Stanley Lake le 6888 l an le Overlook St y 6638 C Boat r 6770 e C e k ek C Ramp La A r P e ey 13 E e nl 65 k Sta H Job O

R Vicinity Map N 7183 Salmon - Selway Legend Pardoe, Rodeo Grounds Ranch Administrative Forest Boundary FY 2012 LWCF This map depicts USDA Forest Service Land Status Record data National Forest System Lands and the approximate location of the proposed purchase parcel. Existing Acquisition Parcels Township 11 North, Range 12/13 East, BSM Future Acquisition Parcels State of Idaho Proposed Acquisition Parcel Forest Service Region 4 Sawtooth National Forest

0 0.25 0.5 1 The USDA Forest Service Makes no warranty, expressed or implied, Miles regarding the data displayed on this map, and reserves the right to Map Creation Date - 01/06/2011 correct, update, modify, or replace this information without notification. Map Revision Date -

file: c:\(data\lwcd2012\r4\maps\morgan\ Arlene Heap Salmon-Selway (Morgan Ranch – Pardoe Rodeo Grounds Ranch) Intermountain Region – Salmon-Challis National Forest FY 2012 LWCF

Morgan Ranch / Sulphur Creek Trail Bridge

Pardoe Rodeo Grounds Ranch with the Sawtooth Mountain Range