A swath of pastureland near Lake Fork will remain just that following the donation of three conservation easements to the Payette Land Trust.
The donations were made by David and Ruth Carey, who own the nearby Jug Mountain Ranch. The easements cover three parcels totaling 125 acres along about one mile of Farm to Market Road between Potter Lane and Ashton Lane.
“Open areas along Farm to Market Road are becoming highly sought-after for development as Valley County grows,” says Craig Utter, executive director for the land trust. “Working with the Carey Family to conserve agricultural lands along this road, whose name reminds us of the heritage of the area, is incredibly important to PLT.”
Permanent development restriction
The easements stick with each parcel, regardless of who owns them, thus permanently preventing future development on the land. The parcels contain 55 acres, 42 acres, and 28 acres.
“We really want to preserve this area to both maintain the agricultural use and to preserve the view that we know and love – that generations have seen and will continue to see as they travel along Farm to Market Road,” Carey said.
Benefits of the easements include preservation of agricultural land, open space, and wildlife habitat, particularly for migratory birds like sandhill cranes and the mountain bluebird, Utter said.
The easement also allows for future agricultural use of the land, including for grazing, raising hay, and some limited farming.
“It allows for a few ag structures, like a Hay Barn, but the square footage is limited,” Utter said. “The goal of the easement was to keep the heritage of the property intact by removing the threat of development.”
Philosophical alignment
The parcels are part of the original 500-acre ranch that the Carey family purchased in 1980. The ranch eventually grew to nearly 2,000 acres and led to the creation of Jug Mountain Ranch, a planned community approved for 325 residential lots on 1,410 acres, including about 1,000 acres of preserved forest and open space.
The community also includes an 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse, restaurant, and over 15 miles of public trails, including groomed Nordic skiing trails.
Carey said the philosophy behind donating the conservation easements to the land trust aligns with those on which Jug Mountain Ranch is built.
“The vision for Jug Mountain Ranch is to only develop 300 of the 1,400 acres and leave the vast majority to open space,” he said. “Putting these additional 125 acres into a conservation easement will aid in building a continuous line of open space from Farm to Market Road all the way east through Jug Mountain Ranch to the state land.”
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In addition to Jug Mountain Ranch, the Carey family owns several businesses and properties in McCall, including Foresters, Hotel McCall, and The Glass House.
The Payette Land Trust is a non-profit organization that was established in 1993 and is overseen by a local board of directors.
The land trust currently owns or holds conservation easements on 21 properties totaling nearly 3,900 acres throughout Valley, Adams, Idaho and Washington counties.
