As 2025 comes to an end, Park County Open Lands has announced the signing of its second conservation easement of the year, bringing the total since the organization’s inception to five signed permanent easements representing more than 3.5 river miles and important wetlands saved in the almost 900 acres enrolled.

But it’s just a start of much bigger things to come, according to Powell resident Alex Few, regional director of the Jackson Hole Land Trust affiliated organization.

“We’re currently working with 12 families to complete conservation easements that will protect another 14,429 acres,” she said during an interview with the Tribune. “Agriculture, open space and wildlife habitat are the values we are working to protect.”

Finalized earlier this month, the organization’s fifth conservation easement permanently protects the 173-acre Cross L7 Homestead, which has remained in continuous agricultural use since being homesteaded in 1901.

As one of the county’s few original homestead sites still haying and grazing cattle, it holds a deep-rooted history tied to the Cody Canal system and its early irrigation rights. Despite changing land-use pressures, the property has remained a productive working landscape rooted in long-term stewardship by the homesteading family.

The Cross L7 homestead features a natural spring and wetland habitat, alongside irrigated meadows and mature cottonwood trees that support a diverse range of wildlife. More than 185 bird species have been documented on the property, including sandhill cranes, avocets, herons, raptors and songbirds. The area also provides seasonal range for big game such as mule deer and white-tailed deer.

“The Cross L7 Homestead tells the story of persistence — both of the land and the people who’ve cared for it,” Few said. “This easement honors that legacy of stewardship and agricultural heritage of the homesteading family. It also ensures scenic open space and wildlife habitat for this gateway to Cody.”

Park County Open Lands is a community-led program of the Jackson Hole Land Trust dedicated to protecting the resilient open spaces, wildlife habitat and working lands of Park County for current and future generations. Guided by an advisory council of long-time local residents, the program aims to empower the community to actively participate in conserving Park County landscapes through voluntary conservation easements.

“The program not only stops encroaching development, it also protects the agricultural base,” Few said.

“It’s not just that we’re working to protect the heritage. We’re working to secure an agricultural land base that is essential for the second largest sector of our local economy, agriculture,” she said.

Few came to the organization three years ago after leaving work in the medical field to follow her passion for the great outdoors and small town life. The former neurophysiologist decided that instead of spending her career indoors with her eyes glued to a microscope, she wanted to spend her professional life protecting the working and wild lands that make up the incredible landscapes of the West.“I fell in love with the mountains in grad school and made a decision that I wanted to live in a small town near the mountains,” she said when taking on her current job. “I have a deep respect for the knowledge of those who steward working lands and provide valuable habitat for our region’s iconic wildlife.”

Busy winter

The organization isn’t resting on its hands through the winter and has planned two events open to the general public. On Jan. 15 the community-led program will offer its fourth annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the Cody Theatre. You can start your night at 5 p.m. a few doors down from the theatre at the Sunlight Sports’ Pint Night. One hundred percent of every pint sold will go directly to Park County Open Lands. The doors then open for the film festival at 5:30 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. movie. There will be a raffle for door prizes, including a spotting scope and tripod from Sunlight Sports, as well as free popcorn and a soda courtesy of the Mooncrest Ranch. Then, on Feb. 25 in Powell, the organization is hosting a Succession Planning Forum for agricultural producers to join with their neighbors for “meaningful conversations” about the future of your operation. The event will feature Wesley Tucker, a farm and ranch transition specialist from the University of Missouri Extension Office to discuss ranch succession planning.

To learn more: jhlandtrust.org