Atchley family protects 1,686 acres of Idaho ranch through conservation easement
The agreement safeguards a mule deer migration route from Wyoming while allowing the family to continue potato farming.
The Atchley family has secured permanent protection for 1,686 acres of their Flying A Ranch near Ashton, Idaho, through a conservation easement. According to the Times of India, the agreement limits land development while permitting the family to maintain their farming and ranching operations.
The protected area serves as a vital path for mule deer moving from Wyoming into Idaho. The Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT) stated that these animals rely almost entirely on private land to finish their journey once they cross the state border.
The ranching business was established by James Arthur Atchley, who moved from Tennessee to claim the land in 1901. Today, the 5,000-acre ranch grows seed potatoes on 800 to 1,000 acres and sells up to 250,000 sacks annually.
The project was driven by Clen Atchley, the grandson of James Arthur Atchley, who wanted to prevent the land from disappearing due to increasing development. Clen Atchley died in 2024 during the process, and his daughter, Laura Pickard, and her husband, Clay, now manage the ranch.
Josh Rydalch, a regional wildlife biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said the property supports various wildlife, including species classified as having a great conservation need. The easement also covers habitats important to grizzly bears, ferruginous hawks, and Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
The project received funding through the family's easement donation, federal and state programmes, and private organisations such as The Nature Conservancy in Idaho and the Knobloch Family Foundation.