Kenny Creek Ranch Acquisition

Project Narrative

There were several deviations to this project. This project originally included three phases to reassemble the original Kenney Creek Ranch -520 acres- with three recently subdivided adjacent small parcels totaling approximately 79 acres and a transfer of ownership in trade for a conservation easement on the Hayden Creek Ranch. Due to the deviations only the first phase was completed under this project. Following is a skeletal history of this project.Phase one – Purchase Kenny Creek ranch (520 acres). Phase two – Purchase the Behring parcel (23 acres), the Macheski parcel (22 acres) and the Harris parcel (34 acres). Phase three – trade the Kenney Creek Ranch and three parcels (599 acres) as an encumbered property to secure a conservation easement on the 1000-acre Tonsmeire Ranch on Hayden Creek.This first phase was completed on December 29, 2009. Lemhi Regional Land Trust (LRLT) closed on the purchase of the Kenney Creek Ranch from Kenney Creek Ranch and Land, LLC. The 520-acre Kenney Creek Ranch was acquired in fee title for $1.9 million dollars, $960,367 of which was provided by PCSRF, the balance of $940,000 was funded by Salmon River Basin Adjudication (SRBA), non match funds.Major delays began with phase two. When the appraisals were completed on the Harris and Macheski properties one of the appraisals was higher than the other. The appraisals were reevaluated and accepted. The Behring property was purchased with SRBA funds within the project period. The Macheski and Harris properties were purchased on December 6, 2010.Phase three was completed on August 10, 2011, with the completion of a conservation easement on the Kenney Creek Ranch and transfer of ownership of the Kenney Creek Ranch to the Hayden Creek Ranch landowner in exchange for a conservation Easement on the Hayden Creek Ranch.The acquisition of these properties and the subsequent conservation easements secured control of all Kenney Creek irrigation diversions, allowing for the permanent reconnection of Kenney Creek to the Lemhi River. The conservation easement terms obligate the landowner to abide by the terms of a water management agreement and secure permanent habitat protection for anadromous and resident fish in Kenney Creek and the Lemhi River.Although, match for the 2005 grant was not met by the 2005 grant and project deadline of June 30, 2010, the full accounting of non-federal cash match for this project was realized upon completion of the conservation easement negotiations with the value of the 1000-acre Hayden Creek Ranch easement completed on August 10, 2011.