Two separate ranches, working with different conservation partners, announced today their recent agreements to set aside their land for conservation easements.
The 1,963-acre parcel, part of "one of Sublette County's oldest working ranches" according to a release, will be set aside through a conservation easement sold to the Wyoming Land Trust. The Circle Ranch is just outside of Big Piney.
"The Miller conservation easement offers an opportunity to balance Sublette County's increasing development by protecting critical wildlife habitat and a 134-year old family ranching operation," said Wyoming Land Trust Associate Director of Conservation Summer Schulz in a release. "This easement provides a lasting legacy for Wyoming citizens and visitors by continuing agricultural production, maintaining open space and healthy ecosystems, enhancing air, land and water quality, maintaining vital wildlife habitat and precluding soil loss."
The ranch has been in the hands of one family for six generations now.
"This easement ensures that future generations will appreciate this land like we do today," said current co-owner Tara Miller in a statement. It is the second portion of the Circle Ranch the family has worked with the trust to conserve, starting with a nearly 400-acre parcel in 2007.
And in the abandoned town of New Fork, almost 1,300 acres of Vible Ranch has been conserved via an easement through the Wyoming Stock Growers Land Trust and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. The easement also allows for public fishing access through a permanent agreement with Game and Fish, which even raised the money to purchase the easement. As traditional ranchers, the Richie family asked the Stock Growers Land Trust to hold the easements while the Game and Fish will oversee the fishing access which will open to the public next spring.
The easement conserves the ranch headquarters, ponds, wetlands and riparian corridor that water extensive hay ground and pastures, according to a release.
"By placing the Vible land in an easement ... we can rest assured that the historical significance, the wildlife habitat and the agriculture value of the land will be preserved for generations to come," the owners of the property, the Richie family, stated.
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