June 24, 2009
JHLT Receives Grant for Work in Surrounding Area
The Jackson Hole Land Trust has received a grant of $9,500 to fund work in the three Wyoming  counties adjacent to Jackson Hole.  The funds will be used to reach out to landowners and provide information regarding conservation easements with an eye toward increasing the pace of private land conservation in Fremont, Lincoln, and Park counties.  The grant was made by the Heart of the Rockies Initiative and Wilburforce Foundation.

“We are thrilled to have the support of Heart of the Rockies and Wilburforce Foundation for our work in our surrounding communities,” said Laurie Andrews, JHLT executive director.  “We want to make certain landowners in these communities know their options when it comes to preserving their farms and ranches, and we think we are in a unique position to help them do that.  Ultimately, much of the wildlife that we enjoy here in Jackson Hole depends on these open spaces in order to thrive.”

The statewide Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust received an identical grant and has partnered with the JHLT in the effort.  The two groups will hold a series of informational events focusing on conservation easements and associated tax benefits in each county during the summer and fall and have formed a joint steering committee to guide their work.

Heart of the Rockies Initiative is a partnership of land trusts in three states and two Canadian provinces in the Northern Rockies.  Wilburforce Foundation protects wildlife and targeted wildlands in Western North America by actively supporting organizations and leaders advancing conservation solutions.

For more information on the land trust's work in Fremont, Lincoln, and Park Counties or about contributing a conservation easement, contact John Shepard, JHLT staff member, at (307) 733-4707 or john@jhlandtrust.org.