LOGAN, Utah, April 16, 2009 — Bridgerland Audubon Society and Rocky Mountain Power have reached agreement on a Conservation Easement for approximately 500 acres of Bear River bottomlands near Trenton, Utah. The easement will be signed at Bridgerland Audubon Society’s annual banquet April 22, 2009, at the Coppermill Restaurant in downtown Logan.
Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp, acquired these lands in 1981 as part of a settlement agreement following unusually high spring runoff in the late 1970s. The property is part of the Bear River Bottoms, an extensive area of riparian and wetland habitat along the Bear River in Cache County.
“We thank PacifiCorp for working through the myriad details of a conservation easement,” said Val Grant, president of Bridgerland Audubon Society. “Our members and volunteers dedicated thousands of hours to record existing conditions in preparation for the easement. Their work led to a management plan that will guide us in controlling noxious weeds, restoring oxbow wetlands and improving habitat for birds. We certainly couldn’t have gotten this far without the excellent scientific help provided by The Nature Conservancy and our own knowledgeable volunteers, and we look forward to more partnerships with Utah State University, agriculture, and other conservation groups.”
Plans for the property include further studies on habitat richness, wildlife populations and weed control.
“One of our key objectives is to continue working with private landowners, especially our agricultural neighbors,” Grant said.
Bridgerland Audubon has been actively working with The Nature Conservancy to secure and protect these lands as habitat for birds and other wildlife, and has asked The Nature Conservancy to help them manage the property.
“This kind of riparian habitat is really very rare in the western United States, but it is rich in its wildlife values”, said Joan Degiorgio, Northern Rocky Mountains Regional Director for The Nature Conservancy. “Riparian zones are critical for 75 percent of Utah’s bird species, but account for less than one-quarter of one percent of the land in the Great Basin.”
Dean Brockbank, vice-president and general counsel for PacifiCorp Energy agreed. “As a public utility, our company explicitly includes environmental protection as part of our mission and we recognize that the Bear River Bottoms are a natural treasure,” Brockbank said. “However, we are limited in what we can do to enhance these kinds of lands if they aren’t directly tied to a hydroelectric project. That’s why we’re so excited about turning over management to a local conservation group like Bridgerland Audubon Society.”
“We’ve had a great relationship with Bridgerland Audubon Society over the years and completed some wonderful projects for Cache Valley as a result. We’re really looking forward to working with them to try some new approaches along the Bear River,” added Eve Davies, principal scientist and Bear River Bottoms manager for PacifiCorp Energy.
Dave Rayfield, chairman of the Cache Critical Lands Task Force, praised Audubon.
“They’ve worked through all the details to make this easement possible, but we hope this is only the beginning of a concerted effort to protect the entire river corridor. This is one of many properties that are critical for Cache Valley’s future,” Rayfield said.
Bridgerland Audubon Society’s banquet is open to the public. Tickets are $25 and are available before April 19 from Caffé Ibis, Fuhriman’s Framing, Crumb Brothers Bakery, or Audubon board members.
About Rocky Mountain Power
Based in Salt Lake City, Rocky Mountain Power is one of the lowest-cost electric utilities in the United States, providing safe and reliable service to more than 988,000 customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. As part of PacifiCorp, Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power serve some 1.7 million customers in seven Western states. The company has more than 10,000 megawatts of generation from coal, hydro, natural gas-fueled combustion turbines, and renewable wind and geothermal power.
About Bridgerland Audubon Society
Bridgerland Audubon Society (BAS) is a local and independent chapter associated with the National Audubon Society and is a member of the Utah Audubon Council. BAS welcomes all to its educational meetings, field trips and conservation projects. BAS participates with Logan City in development of the Logan Mitigation Ponds west of the current landfill and also operates a 146-acre wildlife sanctuary along Clay Slough west of Amalga. The property for the sanctuary was purchased from PacifiCorp. Organized as a public charity under IRS 501 (c) (3), BAS meets on the second Thursday of the month September through May in the Cache Valley Learning Center, 75 S 400 W, Logan, UT 84321. Information is available from www.bridgerlandaudubon.org.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 135 million acres worldwide. In Utah, the Conservancy has helped to protect nearly 900,000 acres, and has long supported the protection of critical lands and waters in Cache County. Visit www.nature.org/utah.
For information, contact:
Bridgerland Audubon Society: Richard Mueller, 435-752-5637
Rocky Mountain Power/PacifiCorp: David Eskelsen 801-220-2447
The Nature Conservancy: Joan Degiorgio, 801-238-2327