Island Park Preservation Coalition
Working Group
Minutes of Meeting
November 9, 2016
The Island Park Preservation Coalition held a working group meeting on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, in the EMS Building in Island Park, Idaho. The meeting was called to order by Chairman, Ken Watts at 6:05 p.m. The following people attended the meeting:
Committee Members:
Ken Watts, Chairman
Terry Delong, Treasurer
Leanne Yancey, IPPC Research
Greg Bitter, Vice Chairman
Ann Anthony, Island Park News
Kathy Rinaldi, Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Rosemary Thompson, IPPC Fund Raising
Perry Thompson, National Park Service, retired
Connie Funkhouser, IP Business/IPPC Fund Raising/IP Trails Project
Bob Stantus, IP Landowner and Recreation
Dave Moore, IP Medical Community
Judy Koehly, Secretary
Members Absent:
Alynn Crapo, IPPC Website Administrator
Joe Sielinsky, IP Sustainable Fire
Dale Swensen, HFWC
Trent Yancey, Fall River Cooperative
Ellen Stantus, IP Landowner and Facilitator
Trent Yancey, Fall River Cooperative
Kim Trotter, Yellowstone 2 Yukon
Zak Miller, Idaho Farm Bureau
Luke Davis, Agriculture and Ranching
John Stiehl, Fishing, Trouthunter
Brandon Hoffner, HFWC
Glade Gunnell, IP Business
Hal Buster, FC Ranching
Kevin Phillips, summer and winter recreation
Knowledge Experts Present:
Joselin Matkins, Executive Director of Teton Land Trust
Josh Holmes, Land Project Specialist, Teton Land Trust
Liz Davy, United States Forest Service
Sandra Mitchell, Idaho Recreation Council
Interested Parties:
Bill Ruppel
Sue Ruppel
Drew Menkhaus
Dan Menkhaus
Greg Neal
Louise Neal
Minutes: The Minutes were approved as written.
Financial Report: Terry DeLong, Treasurer, reported that current balance is $4,182. Connie Funkhouser was reimbursed $25.63 for shipping of the quilt. Terry reported that we have not received approval of our non-profit status from the IRS.
Connie Funkhouser reported that she had received 3 boxes of See’s Chocolates from Layne Walker, the winner of the quilt. Those present shared one box. The other two boxes will be given to the quilt guild.
Current Events:
The Blue Ribbon Coalition published an article regarding working together to maintain ATV and snowmobile trails.
The outcome of the Deer Lodge Beaverhead National Forest court challenge, was to stay with the original access plan.
Presentation:
Joselin Matkin, Executive Director of Teton Land Trust, spoke to the members regarding the Teton Land Trust. Joselin reported that the mission of the Land Trust is to conserve working farms and ranches, fish and wildlife habitat, and economic landscapes in Eastern Idaho for the benefit of this and future generations. The Land Trust is based in Driggs, Idaho. They have 19 board members, 4 advisory committees, 10 full-time staff members, a conservation team, a development team and an operations team. The Land Trust has groups in different communities that help build better relationships with the communities. They reach out and work with landowners. They want to keep things the way they are. Their focus is private land conservation. They are not political. They are nonlitigious and nongovernmenal. They do go to court to uphold the terms of the easements. They work with USFS, BLM and individual landowners. The role of the Teton Land Trust is: (1) a community based organization that promotes land protection and access through voluntary conservation; (2) technical support for landowners desiring to preserve their land; (3) partners in conserving and maintaining family lands; and (4) entity responsible for upholding conservation agreements in perpetuity. They focus on the Upper Snake River, South Fork Henry’s Fork, Middle Fork, Teton Valley, Island Park and Swan Valley. They cover 7 counties in Southeast Idaho. They currently protect 34,000 acres, and have 138 easements with 107 families. They have 28 restoration projects and 5,000 acres of wetland. They strive to protect our extraordinary quality of life. They protect habitat for the wildlife populations, protect rivers and wetlands, fisheries, migration corridors (including Yellowstone wildlife), scenic space and recreational areas. Ken Watts stated that our legislation has those protections as well. Staff members of the Trust give tours showing what their investment is doing. They have events and mail campaigns. Major donors give 60%. They receive some grants. They cannot sell property,but they can transfer easements to the BLM and like organizations. They must take care of any property covered in the easements.
Josh Holmes, Land Protection Specialist, Teton Land Trust, told the members that the conservation easements were voluntary legal agreements. Each easement is unique and tailored to the property. The landowners own the land and continue to use it, they can improve it and they leave the land to their heirs, but the easement restrictions remain with the land forever. Landowners use these easements to protect their lands from future developments and other uses incompatible with their vision for the land. Landowners receive tax benefits if they donate the conservation easement. There is no public access on the easements. The easements cannot be broken. The land trust oversees the land, but the owner does not give up ownership. There are costs associated with the conservation easements i.e. staff time, attorney fees, report preparation, etc. The value of the conservation easement is typically the difference between the fair market value of the property before and after the granting of the easement. The types of transactions are (a) donations, (b) bargain sales, and (c) full purchase. An example would be value before easement: $2.1M, easement $700,000, value after easement $1.4M. Certain IRS regulations must be met in order to get a tax benefit. Volunteers help with land management monitoring, restoration projects, fence removal, weed control, ecological monitoring and outreach events. The Land Trust is currently working on 3 projects in Island Park, covering 500 acres. The projects should be completed within 3 years.
Ken Watts reported that he had made a presentation to Fall River regarding the Coalition, explaining what we are doing. The Fall River group was very interested. They asked Ken to meet with them again. They want to help with the drafting of the legislation. Fall River has easements and options in the area that need to be protected. They currently have some special use permits and will need more in the future. Ken Watts will work on language to cover what Fall River needs and what other utilities will need. All of the Fall River easements and permits are on public lands and are renewed every 10 to 20 years. These easements and permits need to be protected so access is not lost.
The group discussed the Steens Mountain Cooperative legislative language regarding an advisory council that is also incorporated in our proposed legislation. The council members for Steens Mountain are chosen by the Governor of Oregon and have staggered terms. County commissioners are also involved. Should the federal government and the county coordinate with the advisory council?
We need to set out what to engage in. We need to define the terms at the beginning of the legislation. We need to incorporate the county comprehensive plan.
What is the purpose of the advisory council?
Who are they advising?
Who is the advisory board?
What is their mandate?
What is their power?
Ken Watts passed out a handout setting forth what the group has accomplished so far and what has not been resolved.
We need to focus on forest health and habitat and land planning.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. at the EMS Building in Island Park, Idaho.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy B. Koehly, Secretary
Working Group
Minutes of Meeting
November 9, 2016
The Island Park Preservation Coalition held a working group meeting on Wednesday, November 9, 2016, in the EMS Building in Island Park, Idaho. The meeting was called to order by Chairman, Ken Watts at 6:05 p.m. The following people attended the meeting:
Committee Members:
Ken Watts, Chairman
Terry Delong, Treasurer
Leanne Yancey, IPPC Research
Greg Bitter, Vice Chairman
Ann Anthony, Island Park News
Kathy Rinaldi, Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Rosemary Thompson, IPPC Fund Raising
Perry Thompson, National Park Service, retired
Connie Funkhouser, IP Business/IPPC Fund Raising/IP Trails Project
Bob Stantus, IP Landowner and Recreation
Dave Moore, IP Medical Community
Judy Koehly, Secretary
Members Absent:
Alynn Crapo, IPPC Website Administrator
Joe Sielinsky, IP Sustainable Fire
Dale Swensen, HFWC
Trent Yancey, Fall River Cooperative
Ellen Stantus, IP Landowner and Facilitator
Trent Yancey, Fall River Cooperative
Kim Trotter, Yellowstone 2 Yukon
Zak Miller, Idaho Farm Bureau
Luke Davis, Agriculture and Ranching
John Stiehl, Fishing, Trouthunter
Brandon Hoffner, HFWC
Glade Gunnell, IP Business
Hal Buster, FC Ranching
Kevin Phillips, summer and winter recreation
Knowledge Experts Present:
Joselin Matkins, Executive Director of Teton Land Trust
Josh Holmes, Land Project Specialist, Teton Land Trust
Liz Davy, United States Forest Service
Sandra Mitchell, Idaho Recreation Council
Interested Parties:
Bill Ruppel
Sue Ruppel
Drew Menkhaus
Dan Menkhaus
Greg Neal
Louise Neal
Minutes: The Minutes were approved as written.
Financial Report: Terry DeLong, Treasurer, reported that current balance is $4,182. Connie Funkhouser was reimbursed $25.63 for shipping of the quilt. Terry reported that we have not received approval of our non-profit status from the IRS.
Connie Funkhouser reported that she had received 3 boxes of See’s Chocolates from Layne Walker, the winner of the quilt. Those present shared one box. The other two boxes will be given to the quilt guild.
Current Events:
The Blue Ribbon Coalition published an article regarding working together to maintain ATV and snowmobile trails.
The outcome of the Deer Lodge Beaverhead National Forest court challenge, was to stay with the original access plan.
Presentation:
Joselin Matkin, Executive Director of Teton Land Trust, spoke to the members regarding the Teton Land Trust. Joselin reported that the mission of the Land Trust is to conserve working farms and ranches, fish and wildlife habitat, and economic landscapes in Eastern Idaho for the benefit of this and future generations. The Land Trust is based in Driggs, Idaho. They have 19 board members, 4 advisory committees, 10 full-time staff members, a conservation team, a development team and an operations team. The Land Trust has groups in different communities that help build better relationships with the communities. They reach out and work with landowners. They want to keep things the way they are. Their focus is private land conservation. They are not political. They are nonlitigious and nongovernmenal. They do go to court to uphold the terms of the easements. They work with USFS, BLM and individual landowners. The role of the Teton Land Trust is: (1) a community based organization that promotes land protection and access through voluntary conservation; (2) technical support for landowners desiring to preserve their land; (3) partners in conserving and maintaining family lands; and (4) entity responsible for upholding conservation agreements in perpetuity. They focus on the Upper Snake River, South Fork Henry’s Fork, Middle Fork, Teton Valley, Island Park and Swan Valley. They cover 7 counties in Southeast Idaho. They currently protect 34,000 acres, and have 138 easements with 107 families. They have 28 restoration projects and 5,000 acres of wetland. They strive to protect our extraordinary quality of life. They protect habitat for the wildlife populations, protect rivers and wetlands, fisheries, migration corridors (including Yellowstone wildlife), scenic space and recreational areas. Ken Watts stated that our legislation has those protections as well. Staff members of the Trust give tours showing what their investment is doing. They have events and mail campaigns. Major donors give 60%. They receive some grants. They cannot sell property,but they can transfer easements to the BLM and like organizations. They must take care of any property covered in the easements.
Josh Holmes, Land Protection Specialist, Teton Land Trust, told the members that the conservation easements were voluntary legal agreements. Each easement is unique and tailored to the property. The landowners own the land and continue to use it, they can improve it and they leave the land to their heirs, but the easement restrictions remain with the land forever. Landowners use these easements to protect their lands from future developments and other uses incompatible with their vision for the land. Landowners receive tax benefits if they donate the conservation easement. There is no public access on the easements. The easements cannot be broken. The land trust oversees the land, but the owner does not give up ownership. There are costs associated with the conservation easements i.e. staff time, attorney fees, report preparation, etc. The value of the conservation easement is typically the difference between the fair market value of the property before and after the granting of the easement. The types of transactions are (a) donations, (b) bargain sales, and (c) full purchase. An example would be value before easement: $2.1M, easement $700,000, value after easement $1.4M. Certain IRS regulations must be met in order to get a tax benefit. Volunteers help with land management monitoring, restoration projects, fence removal, weed control, ecological monitoring and outreach events. The Land Trust is currently working on 3 projects in Island Park, covering 500 acres. The projects should be completed within 3 years.
Ken Watts reported that he had made a presentation to Fall River regarding the Coalition, explaining what we are doing. The Fall River group was very interested. They asked Ken to meet with them again. They want to help with the drafting of the legislation. Fall River has easements and options in the area that need to be protected. They currently have some special use permits and will need more in the future. Ken Watts will work on language to cover what Fall River needs and what other utilities will need. All of the Fall River easements and permits are on public lands and are renewed every 10 to 20 years. These easements and permits need to be protected so access is not lost.
The group discussed the Steens Mountain Cooperative legislative language regarding an advisory council that is also incorporated in our proposed legislation. The council members for Steens Mountain are chosen by the Governor of Oregon and have staggered terms. County commissioners are also involved. Should the federal government and the county coordinate with the advisory council?
We need to set out what to engage in. We need to define the terms at the beginning of the legislation. We need to incorporate the county comprehensive plan.
What is the purpose of the advisory council?
Who are they advising?
Who is the advisory board?
What is their mandate?
What is their power?
Ken Watts passed out a handout setting forth what the group has accomplished so far and what has not been resolved.
We need to focus on forest health and habitat and land planning.
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. at the EMS Building in Island Park, Idaho.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy B. Koehly, Secretary
