Habitat and Homes: A Boise Man's Vision of Coexistence

By Catherine Butler Nine years ago Gary Campbell was drawn to a place unlike any he'd seen in the Boise foothills. A combination of scenic terrain, rugged geology and plentiful wildlife prompted Campbell to buy the property and eventually build a home above Boise's Table Rock. "Seasonally, it changes," Campbell said. "We see deer and elk, which you'd expect. We also have seen mountain lion and bear. We can tell what time of year it is by which birds are overhead." Today, Campbell is taking steps to ensure that the wildlife he loves will remain a common sight. Campbell recently entered into an agreement with the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation (IFWF) and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to protect and manage habitat on 40 acres of his sizeable property. Campbell chose a partnership with IFWF because of the foundation's mission to sustain Idaho's fishing, hunting and, in this case especially, its wildlife heritage. "It fit exactly with why we are living here. We designed the property to admit that this is their [wildlife] home too," Campbell explained. "Any agreement I sign is only as good as the people who sign it and that gave me a lot of comfort knowing it was Fish and Game." Campbell will work with IDFG to develop a habitat improvement plan to be funded through a department program. For the foundation, this habitat management agreement is unprecedented. While the 40 acres will be protected for habitat, development of one additional home is allowed and public access is prohibited. This is the only time the foundation has accepted such stipulations. "The biologists at IDFG felt the area was important to wildlife and needed to be secured. The agreement permanently limits the use of this land to protect its habitat value," Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director Gayle Valentine said. IDFG Habitat Biologist Jerry Scholten says the land's proximity to an existing Bureau of Land Management wildlife area made it a natural fit. "It's an area with 66 species of mammals and over 200 birds. The land provides low elevation winter range for big game," Scholten said. "This agreement will keep development away from the adjacent wildlife area. It's a good example of how to build a home and still have wildlife compatibility, he said." Campbell now has a handful of human neighbors_their homes are separated by acres of land_in the Wildhorse Ranch development. He says residents enjoy the opportunity to live just a few miles from downtown Boise, but feel worlds away. Their hobbies focus on viewing wildlife, sunrises and full moons. Campbell encourages other foothills landowners to consider similar approaches. "What they're buying into here is a lifestyle and it's not just a human lifestyle-it's the wildlife lifestyle. We can have both, but we just have to plan for it." The habitat management agreement is part of Campbell's plan. It is also a contract that continues "in perpetuity." That means if Campbell or his beneficiaries sell, the 40 acres Campbell fell in love with years ago will remain a protected home to wildlife for decades to come. The Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation 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. For more information on conservation easements contact the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation at (208)334-2648 or check their web page at: http://www.ifwf.org.