STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Seven years ago, the Wood River Land Trust threw a community picnic in Howard Preserve, celebrating the preservation of a valuable riparian area along the Big Wood River through Bellevue that had been precipitated in part by a quarter-million dollars that the Land Trust put up to purchase the land from John Burton Howard III in 2004.

Tom Blanchard, who lives nearby, noted that it had been only since the preserve had been created that quail had moved in, part of what he called an invasion of animals that included red squirrels and 40 buzzards that put on an aerial show each night as they swooped around looking for things to nibble on.

Scott, Jeff, Mike, Bob, JB and other members of the Howard family came from California to celebrate the preserve that they had decided to preserve in honor of their grandparents Ellis and Lena Howard, who had a cabin in Hailey. They hadn’t been at the preserve in years—not since one of the brothers held his wedding there.

Interpretive signs tell about native vegetation and wildlife.

But Scott Howard told how he had spent some “alone time” fishing there, watching in amazement as dozens more people came to hike, swim and splash around—“things we used to do as kids when our family owned the property.”

On Saturday, Sept. 21, the Wood River Land Trust will mark the 20th anniversary of the Howard Preserve with a Big Wood River Cleanup from Bellevue to Ketchum followed by an Anniversary Picnic celebrating Howard Preserve in Bellevue.

The day will kick off with a cleanup in and along the banks of the Big Wood River at three locations in Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue. Participants should register at www.woodriverlandtrust.org and show up at either Warm Springs Preserve in Ketchum, Draper Wood River Preserve in Hailey or Howard Preserve in Bellevue. Those who can’t register in advance are still invited to show up.

The picnic, open to all community members, will follow from 3 to 6 p.m. at the home of Mary and Mike Howard on Riverside Drive in Bellevue. The home is a five-minute walk from the preserve. There’ll be grilled Italian sausages and garlic bread, beer, wine and soda. And there will be a painting project and kid’s explorer game.

The preserve provides a shady place to relax on hot summer days.

Tucked in amidst the eating and other activities will be a short program reflecting on the conservation values of the Howard Preserve and the impact of collective efforts to maintain a place where the community can walk, play and enjoy the river.

Speakers will include picnic host Mike Howard, Bellevue Mayor Chris Johnson; Florence Blanchard, the chair of Friends of Howard Preserve and Wood River Land Trust Executive Director Amy Trujillo.

A big Trash Reveal will be made, announcing how much trash was picked up along the river--volunteers have found couches and tires in the past.

And raffle tickets will be sold for a drawing that the Land Trust is holding to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Each ticket costs $10 and could win the holder a Sun Valley season ski and bicycle pass, guided flyfishing for two from Sun Valley outfitters and two $50 gift cards from The Elephant’s Perch. Tickets are available on the Land Trust’s Website, at the picnic or at any of the cleanup locations.

This group of young people took part in the 2023 river cleanup organized by the Wood River Land Trust. COURTESY: WRLT

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The City of Bellevue acquired the 12.57 -acre property in 2004 with the help of a volunteer group called The Citizens to Protect the Bellevue River Front, which raised $40,000 from an art auction at Branching Out Nursery to match $215,000 in grant money raised by the Wood River Land Trust.

Kickstarting the purchase was Sophie Wilkes, Janet Barton and Joy Allen.

The Wood River Land Trust and City of Bellevue secured a grant from the Blaine County Land, Water & Wildlife Program in 2017 that facilitated the acquisition of additional lots from private landowners.

One of the stipulations in establishing the preserve was that the preserve had to be maintained, said former council member Tammy Davis.

When council members wondered whether the city could take on the maintenance of a new park, the Bellevue Tree Committee comprised of Wilkes, Barton and Allen committed to help support the Preserve. They evolved into the Friends of the Howard Preserve when the tree committee disbanded.

Davis organized the Bellevue Haunted Forest, soliciting Bellevue townspeople to play ghouls along a haunted path through the forest.

“We have a goal of making someone pee their pants and everyone has a good time,” she said at the time.

The Friends became a non-profit organization in 2009 through a Building Better Communities organization founded by Davis. And in 2009 the Bellevue city council adopted a Howard Preserve Management Plan, creating a partnership with the Land Trust and the Friends.

Since 2004, the Friends and the Land Trust have contributed more than 4,000 volunteer hours to build trails, pull weeds, pick up trash and do other maintenance. Volunteers working with the ERC’s Weed Warriors took 120 pounds of weeds to the Ohio Gulch land fill last year and this fall members cleared weeds from the turnaround near the pedestrian bridge that Randy Edgar and former Bellevue Mayor John Barton built over the canal.

Over the years the Friends have contributed more than $14,000 for various projects, including the installation of benches and signs, the entry gates, trash receptacles, bike rack, a designated parking area, facility shed and fencing. The bulk of the money comes from private donations.

A 3.3-mile trail system created in 2005 is used by hundreds of hikers, fishermen, dog walkers, bird watchers and kids on school field trips and the Land Trust installed a new memorial bench overlooking the river last year.

Dog walkers help themselves to 6,000 doggie bags a year and some 2,000 preschoolers and elementary school students take field trips to the Preserve. It’s also used for fly fishing classes, afterschool science classes, occasional kayakers, swimmers and photographers.

And, lest we forget, it’s also used by bald eagles, elk, deer, fox, sculpin, trout and mountain lions.

The Friends, comprised of a river restoration specialist, botanist, Bellevue Park Committee member, photographer, astronomy expert, professional gardener and others, hope to repair wood fencing that was damaged by snow dumping at the Elm Street Gate in the future, said Florence Blanchard. They also hope to obtain the adjacent Myers property, replace faded and damaged signs, remove more weeds, restore the former Halverson property and seek alternatives for snow storage since snow plowed on city streets contains motor oil and other contaminants that soak into the ground, eventually ending in the river.

“The entry to the Preserve, one of our greatest assets, deserves to look better. The Marshall’s office is to be commended for investigating vandalism and other violations that we have no authority to stop,” said Blanchard. “There also should be a way to require businesses on Main Street to screen their trash so it doesn’t blow down into the Preserve.”

Register for the picnic and learn more at https://www.woodriverlandtrust.org/. Questions? Contact Molly! Goodyear, communications specialist for the Land Trust, at molly@woodriverlandtrust.org.