Foundation Creates a ÔWin' for Wildlife

The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation has purchased 1,113 acres that will improve wildlife habitat and provide public access to open lands in Elmore County. The property, purchased from a local rancher, is dominated by sagebrush-grassland habitat, providing important low-elevation big game winter range. The property is adjacent to the Charcoal Creek segment of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area and will be managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game as part of the wildlife management area. This property solidifies perpetual access to a mix of public lands, including Fish and Game, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands. Idaho Fish and Game will lease the land from the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation for the next 10 years in a lease-to-purchase agreement to acquire the property. "This funding partnership is a win," Fish and Game Director Cal Groen said. "It preserves valuable habitat and provides public access to open lands for hunting and other outdoor recreation" The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation Inc. is a non-profit organization established in 1990 to protect and sustain Idaho's fishing, hunting and wildlife heritage. Board members represent each region of the state.