Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust acquires over 900 acres of ranchland in Caribou County

The Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust has acquired 920 acres of ranchland and wildlife habitat from the Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands.

According to a news release from Sagebrush Steppe Land Trust, or SSLT, the property, known as Kackley Ranch, contains several different habitats such as a mixed forest, sagebrush steppe and pastureland.

The mixed habitat supports a variety of wildlife, including Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, elk, deer, moose, migratory songbirds, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, reptiles and amphibians.

Eric Pankau, SSLT stewardship manager, said in the news release that this property protects a valuable corridor of undeveloped land in Southeast Idaho.

"It represents an amazing opportunity for partnership, education and managing working lands to benefit wildlife," he said in the news release. "We are so excited to use this property as a focal point to showcase collaborative conservation efforts in this landscape."

Back in 2006, brothers Alvin and Ellis Kackley, the owners of the land, granted Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands a conservation and fee ownership. The family loved the property and wanted it to remain in its current condition to protect all the wildlife that lived in it.

Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands, or IFPL, took care of the land for all that time, making sure to honor the request of the original owner. They agreed to work with SSLT, a local land trust that would better preserve the property.

SSLT works to protect and enhance natural lands, wildlife habitat, and working farms and ranches in Southeast Idaho, now and for future generations.

Southeast Idahoans came together in 2004 to create an organization that would work with private landowners who wanted to conserve their farms and ranches. With the support of members and landowners, SSLT has conserved 28 properties, which include over five miles of Bonneville cutthroat trout habitat and thousands of acres of sagebrush steppe rangeland habitat, which supports a variety of wildlife species.

Brandy Wilson, President of IFPL, said in the news release that IFPL is proud to transfer stewardship of the land to SSLT.

"I am delighted that Sagebrush Steppe will provide local management of this beautiful agricultural open space for future generations," she said in the news release.

In addition to the property, SSLT also acquired the Al and Yvonne Kackley Endowment so they can manage the ranch in perpetuity. Al Kackley's hope was that the land would remain in its current state for future generations to enjoy.

Matt Lucia, Executive Director of SSLT, said in the news release that the Kackley Ranch represents an anchor property in their service area.

"We are grateful to our partners at the IFPL for entrusting the future of this property to SSLT, to the Kackley family for their dedication to this property and for their financial support to manage it and to Kyle Barber for managing this property transfer," he said in the news release. "This property will be managed as a working cattle ranch and as habitat for a variety of wildlife species."

The news release said that this 920 acres of land brings the total amount of land protected by SSLT to 10,500 acres.