Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$5,414,765

Total expenses

$2,318,980

Contributions and grants received

$4,839,417

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$539,045

Other revenue

$36,303

Total assets, end of year

$33,753,086

Total liabilities, end of year

$239,446

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$33,513,640

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,519,452

Management and general expenses

$384,413

Fundraising expenses

$415,115

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,519,452

Program services were 65.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• LAND ACQUISITION/PROTECTION COLORADO GULCH PRESERVE EXPANSION IN FY 2023-24, WRLT ADDED 30 ADDITIONAL ACRES TO THE COLORADO GULCH PRESERVE, WHICH IS PART OF THE LARGER HAILEY GREENWAY, THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF THE GRASSI PROPERTY. ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY PROTECTS CRITICAL WETLANDS AND FLOODPLAIN HABITAT, WINTERING HABITAT FOR ELK AND OTHER ANIMALS, AND EXPANDS PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE BIG WOOD RIVER. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IN 2023-24, WRLT CONTINUED TO WORK WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS TO DEVELOP CONSERVATION PROJECTS OVER APPROXIMATELY 9,000 ACRES COLLECTIVELY, THAT WILL CONSERVE WILDLIFE MIGRATION CORRIDORS, RIPARIAN HABITAT, UPLAND GAME HABITAT, CRITICAL SAGE GROUSE HABITAT, AND AREAS FOR PUBLIC RECREATION. THESE PROJECTS CAN TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS TO DEVELOP AND ARE STILL IN PROGRESS. COMMUNITY PLANNING EFFORTS IN RESPONSE TO THE RAPID GROWTH AND CHANGE IN THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY, WRLT BEGAN A NEW COMMUNITY PLANNING PROGRAM. INFORMED BY A ROBUST COMMUNITY PROCESS THAT INCLUDED COMMUNITY LISTENING AND VISIONING SESSIONS AND BROUGHT TOGETHER STAFF FROM CITY AND COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY TO DISCUSS ISSUES THAT CROSS JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, THE PROGRAM WORKS TO USE PLANNING TOOLS AS ANOTHER AVENUE TO PROTECT THE NATURAL RESOURCES ON WHICH OUR COMMUNITY RELIES. BULLION STREET CONSERVATION & COMMUNITY HOUSING PROJECT IN 2022, WRLT PURCHASED A 15-ACRE PROPERTY ON BULLION ST, CONTIGUOUS WITH THE HAILEY GREENWAY. PER THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE GIFT, APPROXIMATELY 8 ACRES OF THE SITE WILL BE HELD FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES AND INCORPORATED INTO THE HAILEY GREENWAY (SECURING PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE GREENWAY FROM BULLION STREET AND PROTECTING MATURE COTTONWOOD FOREST AND RIPARIAN HABITAT), AND UP TO 7 ACRES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO CITY SERVICES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING. THIS FISCAL YEAR, WRLT CONTINUED TO WORK WITH ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS TO DEVELOP CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS FOR THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT. THIS WORK IS STILL IN PROGRESS. PIONEERS ALLIANCE WRLT STAFF'S COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH THE PIONEERS ALLIANCE (INCLUDING PARTNERS LIKE THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IDAHO, THE CONSERVATION FUND, AND IDAHO CONSERVATION LEAGUE) HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER RANCHERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO PROTECT APPROXIMATELY 90,000 ACRES IN THE PIONEER MOUNTAINS- CRATERS OF THE MOON LANDSCAPE THROUGH THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE'S AGRICULTURAL LANDS EASEMENT PROGRAM. IN 2023-24, WRLT CONTINUED TO WORK WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN THIS LANDSCAPE TO RESTORE RIPARIAN HABITAT. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON GREATER SAGE-GROUSE POPULATIONS AND WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS TO RESTORE HABITAT ON CONSERVED LANDS.

  Expenses $419,367

• RIVER HEALTH & RESTORATION IN FY 23-24, WRLT COMPLETED THE BELLEVUE SIDE CHANNELS RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT, WHICH REMOVED RIP RAP AND FILL FROM THE RIVER AND PROVIDING NEW SIDE CHANNEL HABITAT TO ALLEVIATE FLOOD FLOWS AND ENHANCE FISH SPAWNING AND REARING HABITAT. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED THE DESIGN AND PLANNING FOR RIVER RESTORATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE HAILEY GREENWAY (HEAGLE PARK SIDE CHANNEL RESTORATION), AS WELL AS A RESTORATION PROJECT ON ELKHORN CREEK, SCHEDULE TO BE COMPLETED IN FY 24-25. WRLT CONTINUED WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HAILEY, BLAINE COUNTY, AND THE FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT 9 TO MOVE THE RESTORATION OF LIONS PARK AT THE HAILEY GREENWAY FORWARD. THE GOAL OF THIS MULTI-YEAR PROJECT IS TO RESTORE FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY AND FUNCTION AND MITIGATE FLOODING THAT OCCURS IN COMMUNITIES DOWNSTREAM BECAUSE OF DEGRADED RIVER FUNCTION. IN FISCAL YEAR 2021-22, WRLT CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY OF KETCHUM'S SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO ACQUIRE THE WARM SPRINGS PRESERVE TO FOREVER BE MAINTAINED AS A PUBLIC PARK. THIS YEAR, WRLT WORKED WITH THE CITY OF KETCHUM TO DESIGN THE RESTORATION PROJECT TO RESTORE 1 MILE OF WARM SPRINGS CREEK AND ITS FLOODPLAIN THROUGH THE PRESERVE. THE CITY IS ALSO PLANNING FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS AND AMENITIES. WRLT IS FOCUSED ON THE CREEK RESTORATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF KETCHUM TO RAISE THE FUNDS AND IMPLEMENT THE RESTORATION PROJECT. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED A ROBUST MONITORING PROGRAM TO FILL GAPS IN MONITORING DATA FOR THE BIG WOOD RIVER BASIN: INSTALLING DATA SENSORS AT MULTIPLE POINTS ALONG THE BIG WOOD RIVER TO COLLECT REAL-TIME TEMPERATURE DATA TO MONITOR AND REPORT ON RIVER CONDITIONS; AND CONTINUING A MULTI-YEAR MACROINVERTEBRATE TREND MONITORING PROGRAM. WOOD RIVER WATER COLLABORATIVE TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS AT TROUT UNLIMITED AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CONTINUES TO HELP FACILITATE THE WOOD RIVER WATER COLLABORATIVE (WRWC). THERE ARE 75 PARTNERS IN THE COLLABORATIVE REPRESENTING DIVERSE INTERESTS INCLUDING: SENIOR AND JUNIOR WATER USERS, AGRICULTURE, GROUNDWATER DISTRICTS, MUNICIPALITIES, STATE LEGISLATORS, THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, THE IDAHO WATER RESOURCE BOARD, COUNTY AND STATE AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-PROFITS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE WRWC IS TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE WATER USE FOR FARMING AND RANCHING; TO PRESERVE SAFE, CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE WOOD RIVER WATERSHEDS; AND TO CONSERVE RIPARIAN AND RIVER HABITAT FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE THAT RELY ON THE BIG WOOD RIVER, SILVER CREEK, LITTLE WOOD RIVER AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES.

  Expenses $478,619

• LAND STEWARDSHIP STAFF MONITORED ALL 44 OF THE WOOD RIVER LAND TRUST CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, TOTALING 13,171 ACRES TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH INDIVIDUAL EASEMENT RESTRICTIONS/LANGUAGE AND TO NOTE ANY CHANGES IN THE PROPERTY. ALL MONITORING DATA, SUCH AS PHOTO POINTS, WERE REPORTED AND ENTERED INTO THE PERMANENT RECORD. WRLT CONTINUED TO MANAGE AND STEWARD OUR 16 FEE SIMPLE PROPERTIES LOCATED IN AND ADJACENT TO THE WOOD RIVER VALLEY. THESE PRESERVES ARE MAINTAINED IN THEIR NATURAL STATE AND/OR RESTORED TO A HEALTHY LANDSCAPE. STEWARDSHIP STAFF ADDRESSES SUCH ONGOING PROBLEMS AS NOXIOUS WEEDS, TRASH, UNWANTED VEHICLE USE, EROSION AND TRAIL UPKEEP. WRLT ALSO CONTINUED DEVELOPING THE COMMUNITY ORCHARD AT THE COLORADO GULCH PRESERVE THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND INSTALLED UNIVERSAL ACCESS TRAILS AT COLORADO GULCH PRESERVE AND SIMONS/BAUER PRESERVE TO ALLOW PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES TO ACCESS OUR PUBLIC PRESERVES. WRLT ALSO SUPPORTED THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO'S RINKER ROCK CREEK RANCH BY PARTNERING ON PROJECTS TO INSTALL GATES TO MANAGE ACCESS AND PROTECT HABITAT, AND BY PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT AERIAL MONITORING OF SAGE GROUSE THROUGHOUT THE 10,000-ACRE RANCH.

  Expenses $503,700

• COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT A COMMUNITY THAT ENJOYS AND LOVES THE LAND WILL WORK TO PROTECT IT. RESEARCH SHOWS THE BEST WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT THE LAND AND OUR ENVIRONMENT IS TO ENCOURAGE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES IN NATURE. WE BRING PEOPLE TO THE LAND AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY'S YOUTH ON CONSERVATION THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE HOSTING FIELD TRIPS AT OUR PRESERVES AND HOSTING VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES TO IMPROVE OUR PRESERVES. ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR INCLUDED A CITIZEN SCIENCE BIRD MONITORING PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY, HOSTING THE ANNUAL BIG WOOD RIVER CLEAN UP, AND HOSTING VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES IN WRLT'S PRESERVES TO IMPROVE HABITAT, REMOVE OLD BARBED WIRE FENCING TO PREVENT WILDLIFE COLLISIONS AND ENTANGLEMENTS WITH FENCING, AND MANAGE TRAILS.

  Expenses $117,766

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

15 February 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202520459349301437

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.