The Jackson Hole Land Trust is a non-profit organization serving to protect land in Jackson Hole. The Jackson Hole Land Trust has worked diligently with land owners since 1980 to preserve wildlife habitats and the attractive views of the open space and undeveloped land in the Jackson Hole area. Currently, the Jackson Hole Land Trust has established permanent protection of over 15,000 acres of land, seventy-four percent of the land being ranch area.
Property protected by the Jackson Hole Land Trust
The Jackson Hole Land Trust has protected forty acres of pronghorn summer range and more than twenty-five miles of streams which contain many species of trout. The Land Trust is also responsible for protecting over 4,200 acres of moose winter range, 200 acres of elk calving ground, and close to 1000 acres of mule dear winter range. The Land Trust has also protected bald eagles by conserving more than 2,300 acres of their nesting and winter habitat.
Benefits of Donating a Conservation Easement to the Jackson Hole Land Trust
There are instant tax benefits acquired by qualified donators of conservation easements to the Jackson Hole Land Trust which are offered by the internal revenue code. Donators receive two kinds of major tax benefits. The first are income tax benefits and the second are estate tax benefits. The tax benefit amounts are determined by the current appraised value of the property. Another benefit to donating an easement is the accumulation of permanent protection over their conservation-worthy land without having to forfeit ownership. To inquire about further benefits, please contact the Jackson Hole Land Trust Office.
The Jackson Hole Land Trust’s Procedures for Enforcing and Managing its Conservation Easements
Every year, the Jackson Hole Land Trust inspects each protected property to make sure the protection requisites are upheld. Although few violations have occurred, the Jackson Hole Land Trust honors their legal responsibility to defend their conservation easements and remedy any violations that may occur in compliance with the Land Trust Alliance’s standards and practices. The Jackson Hole Land Trust has organized a donation fund in effort to be financially able to defend against violations of conservation easements.
The Conservation Buyer Program
The Conservation Buyer Program is responsible for locating the right conservation-worthy land for a buyer who is interested in protecting their land from future development. Usually the buyers donate the land to the Jackson Hole Land Trust within one year of the purchase in order to protect their land and to be entitled to major tax deductions of up to 50% of their adjusted gross income. The Conservation Buyer Program has established permanent protection of over 3,200 acres of land through Jackson Hole Land Trust conservation easements
Benefits Provided by a Conservation Easement
Conservation easements solidify protection over conservation properties regardless of whether the landowner lives on the land, sells the land, donates the land, or passes it on to future generations.
Property protected by the Jackson Hole Land Trust
The Jackson Hole Land Trust has protected forty acres of pronghorn summer range and more than twenty-five miles of streams which contain many species of trout. The Land Trust is also responsible for protecting over 4,200 acres of moose winter range, 200 acres of elk calving ground, and close to 1000 acres of mule dear winter range. The Land Trust has also protected bald eagles by conserving more than 2,300 acres of their nesting and winter habitat.
Property Qualifications for Protection by a Jackson Hole Land Trust Conservation Easement
A property’s resources and qualities are thoroughly investigated to determine the whether the property is appropriate for protection by a Jackson Hole Land Trust conservation easement. Some factors that effect qualification are more important than others. For example one single factor may be enough to qualify the land for protection. On other occasions, several factors are combined qualify the land for protection by a Jackson Hole Land Trust conservation easement. Some of the qualification factors include the land being a critical wildlife habitat or migration route, an active ranch or used for agricultural reasons, reasonably natural and undisturbed, and visible from major highways and rivers that are used by the public. The qualified lands are frequently found within Grand Teton National Park or the National Forest. Other factors for qualification include: land found along important rivers, streams or creeks, land sharing a boundary with public preserves such as a National Forest and Wildlife Refuges, land bordering other property being protected by a conservation easement, and land having potential power to obstruct scenic views if it were developed.
The Campaign for Our Valley
The Campaign for Our Valley is a 25.5 million, three year private fundraising effort made by the Jackson Hole Land Trust in order to purchase conservation easements for the remaining 25,000 acres of unprotected ranch land in Jackson Hole. Ten families in Jackson Hole own these acres and are continually pressured to sell their land for development purposes. The Campaign for Our Valley started in April of 1999 as a result of rising concern about the major development occurring upon Jackson Hole’s remaining open spaces. This major development has occurred in many other Western resort towns as well. Due to the Land Trusts fundraising efforts, the Southern portion of the Hansen Ranch became the first campaign project completed in August of 2001, protecting 181 acres of ranch land. Their second success was the purchase of the Valley Springs Wildlife Refuge and Public Park in December of 2001, protecting 47 acres of open land.
Public access to the Conservation Easements provided by the Jackson Hole Land Trust
Although some properties are restricted from public access by the land owner, the Jackson Hole Land Trusts owns some conservation easements for lands that allow and encourage public access. These properties include: Emily’s pond, The Wilson Wetlands Trail, the Hardeman North Property and the Poison Creek.
Differences between the Jackson Hole Land Trust and the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance
The major difference between the Jackson Hole Land Trust and the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance lies in the way each organization protects Jackson Hole’s natural environment. The Jackson Hole Land Trust, a non-political organization, primarily uses conservation easements to permanently protect critical wildlife habitats and open land in Jackson Hole. In contrast, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance monitors the valley and educates the public about responsible ways to protect the natural and scenic resources of Jackson Hole.
