Families preserve additional acreage on the Packsaddle bench

The Teton Regional Land Trust recently assisted Al and Lee McGlinsky and Boyd and Barbara Norton to preserve 125 acres of wildlife rich forest lands above the Packsaddle bench bordering the National Forest in Teton County, Idaho.

The McGlinsky and Norton families own 379 forested acres northeast of Driggs above the Packsaddle bench. Both families, formerly of Idaho Falls, bought the property in the 1960’s and have spent many years with their children camping and hiking on their land. In 2001, the families placed an initial 254 acres under conservation easement and have now chosen to place their remaining 125 acres under an additional easement. The two easements buffer the adjoining National Forest, adding landscape scale impact to the conserved land.

The McGlinsky and Norton families have chosen to safeguard their land from development and help preserve important wildlife habitat. The property is mostly covered by an old age mixed conifer and Douglas fir forest which provides habitat for many rare bird species including the Northern goshawk and Cooper’s hawk, both of which have been found nesting on the property. Great gray owl, a species considered sensitive by the Forest Service and the Three-toed woodpecker an Idaho Fish and Game Species of Greatest Conservation Need, have both been observed on the property. Numerous mammals such as moose, mule deer, elk, black bear, fox and coyote use the property. The rich habitats found on the property allow many birds and mammals to find food and shelter on this land for much of the annual cycle.

This property also provides considerable scenic value to the public because of its visibility from the Packsaddle/Dry Hollow Forest Service access road. The Forest Service access road is a popular travel route for mountain bikers and hikers in the summer and snowmobilers in the winter.

“When we found the land it was love at first sight,” Barbara Norton said. “Boyd and I grew up out east and saw what a mess things were. When we moved west we were struck by the beauty in Idaho and we didn’t want to see it developed the way the east was.”

“We were looking ahead to a time where there might be a lot of change and didn’t want to see our land sold off or developed,” Boyd Norton said of his land.

The Nortons and the McGlinskys have been involved in conservation since the 1960’s, helping to preserve areas such as the Jedediah Smith Wilderness. The Nortons are still very active in the conservation arena working all over the world.

“People in the world don’t realize what wilderness is until its gone,” Barbara Norton explained. “They then say ‘if only we’d saved that’.”

“We all agreed that this beautiful area of aspens, evergreens and wild flowers needed to be kept just the way it was,” Lee McGlinsky said of her land. “We've seen Great Gray Owls and heard grouse drumming there. Even though none of us lives close-by anymore it gives us a special feeling to know that the land is there and protected.”

The McGlinsky and Norton families chose to fully donate both easements, a tremendous legacy for the people of Idaho and all who enjoy the state’s unique wildlife.

“We are so pleased to work with such conservation-minded people,” Teton Regional Land Trust Land Protection Specialist Babette Thorpe explained. “The McGlinsky and Norton families have significantly benefitted wildlife in the Packsaddle area by preserving these 379 acres.”

These properties add to a growing corridor of preserved lands in Teton Valley, Idaho that extends from the Big Hole Mountains to the Teton River.

“This year, the Teton Regional Land Trust has worked with tremendous landowners in the Packsaddle area to conserve some of our finest natural treasures,” Executive Director Michael Whitfield said. “We hope to use this momentum to conserve important wildlife habitats and to sustain natural wildlife migration routes.”

To date the Teton Regional Land Trust has conserved nearly 25,000 acres in the Upper Snake River Valley. These acres have been protected by over 100 willing landowners who have placed their land under conservation easement. In 2007, the Teton Regional Land Trust has helped protect 1668 acres. ■