Payette Land Trust News - Blackhawk Wildlife Preserve

The Star News - January 11, 2007

Blackhawk Wildlife Preserve Conservation Easment

The developers of the Blackhawk planned community have signed a conservation easement that permanently protects 152 acres of a 1,551-acre project five miles southwest of McCall.

The easement was made with the Payette Land Trust, a local organization dedicated to preserving land for its scenic, agricultural, ranching, recreational, historic or wildlife values.

"This is a key milestone for both the Payette Land Trust and the course of new development in Valley County," land trust executive director Robert Vosskuhler said.
"Blackhawk is the first developer to permanently protect such an important piece of habitat for McCall's wildlife through a conservation easement and wildlife preserve," Vosskuhler said. "They've set a remarkable precedent."

The area, known as the Blackhawk Wildlife Preserve, is located along a 1.7 mile stretch of the North Fork of the Payette River.

The preserve spans a diverse ecosystem that offers abundant habitat for wildlife, including one-of-a-kind living wetlands, forested areas and meadows. The preserve provides habitat for more than 214 species of wildlife, including 13 currently listed as "species of special concern," a report by the land trust said. The preserve is now home to elk, moose, fox, deer, beaver, bald eagles, ospreys, great blue herons and Sandhill cranes, among hundreds of others.

The conservation easement is part of a larger plan to protect and preserve the land and wildlife throughout the Blackhawk development, said Sima Muroff, managing partner of Blackhawk Partners LLC. "We see environmental stewardship as a cornerstone of our development philosophy," Muroff said. "We want to leave a legacy to our children and McCall that we're all proud of. Keeping this portion of our property wild is the right thing to do."

The Blackhawk Property Owners' Association has supported Blackhawk Partners easement plans from the beginning.

"The board is thankful to Blackhawk Partners for this gift to the Payette Land Trust and for protecting and preserving this sensitive area for the present and future enjoyment of all Blackhawk property owners and their guests," board member Ron Stenquist said.