STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Champions of the Warm Springs Preserve are seeking $400,000 more to take advantage of a $500,000 matching gift opportunity.

Joyce Gordon and Eric Remais have offered a $500,000 matching challenge to raise the rest of the money needed to build a welcome building with restroom, maintenance storage and interpretive signs about the property’s history.

With the matching grant every dollar will be doubled. So far, $100,000 have been donated.

A piano was set up in Warm Springs Preserve for a concert celebrating the Summer Solstice in June.

There are a naming opportunities for two benches and one picnic table for those wanting to honor friends, family or pets. The naming opportunities start at $15,000. More information is available at www.kechumidaho.org.

Questions may be directed to warmspringspreserve@ketchumidaho.org.

Crews began restoring the property just before July Fourth. Work includes topsoil removal and grading trail work, irrigation line and pump installation and the paving of the parking lot.

Additionally, the U.S. Forest Service did some forest thinning on Forest Service land south of the Preserve as part of the Ketchum Ranger District’s Bald Mountain Stewardship project in June.

The trees that were removed will be used for woody debris structures to improve trout habitat and mitigate flood risk. in Warm Springs Creek.