keeping it connected: the Metcalf easement
“ All I can say is be careful; I got caught in the sticky web of native plant fanatics and now look at me.”
Sarah admiring the spring blooms across her property.
Landowner Sarah Metcalf didn’t know how special her land was when she bought it in 1995. “It had been logged and grazed and seemed like any other piece of property. But then I learned that many of the grasses and small plants I was seeing were actually really extraordinary.”
Because of you and your continuing support, Sarah’s 60-acres of timberland, wildlife habitat, and native Palouse prairie is now permanently protected along the Washington-Idaho border in northern Latah County. The project protects habitat for 17 Species Greatest Conservation Need, a designation that targets key conservation priorities in a region where habitats have been so highly modified. Safeguarding this prairie remnant also creates recovery opportunities for native Palouse prairie plants, including the federally threatened Spalding’s catchfly.
Wildlife and pollinators thrive on the property and utilize it as an important travel corridor. In addition to the spunky “pet” ruffed grouse that chases people and vehicles down the path, the property is also host to over 50 species of birds, big game, and everything in between.
“When I learned how little prairie was left, I knew I needed to protect it. And not just for me. If I’m going to own land, I’m going to take care of it, and at that, I don’t even feel like I own the property. I’m just a steward. It’s everyone’s land, and I’m just here to care for it for you, for the animals, for all the birds and bugs and every other living thing.”
Like you, Sarah shares an impressive land ethic. Over many years, she has spent countless hours diligently scouting and carefully controlling invasive weeds on her prairie land and planting native grasses and forbs.
Photos alone will never quite do the picturesque scenery justice. Imagine a lush forest understory, brimming with native shrubs and sounds of forest birds such as spotted towhee, red crossbills, and mountain chickadees. Bright blooms dot the hillside—alive with the buzz of busy pollinators—containing some of the most colorful and diverse Palouse prairie plants to be found in the region. Breaks in the trees reveal the full variety of soaring raptors that our area has to offer. A sprawling view of the Palouse from atop Lone Jack Mountain delivers a magnificent panorama of the surrounding landscape.
COLLABORATION IN CONSERVATION
Pamela Pavek, Resource Conservationist for the USDA-NRCS Latah County field office can testify that Sarah is an impressively conscientious and hardworking landowner. “It is a highlight of my career to be able to help her achieve her goals. I am delighted she is preserving this special property and commend her for all her hard work to create a conservation legacy by partnering with Palouse Land Trust.”
Brenda Erhardt, Resource Conservation Planner for the Latah Soil and Water Conservation District agrees. “I have been fortunate to work with Sarah on Palouse prairie improvement projects since 2012,” shares Brenda.
“Sarah’s property is special, and likewise, she’s special to me because I know how much it means to her to protect and restore this piece of ground.” Brenda conveys how much Sarah inspires her and many other restoration practitioners and landowners. “Sarah is generous with her time, fun, full of ideas. I always leave feeling uplifted for the future of Palouse prairie.”
Besides the beautiful wildflower display in the spring, Brenda shares that one of her favorite features of this property is the transitions you see as you walk across Sarah’s place. “You can go from former pasture ground (currently in the prairie reconstruction process), to Ponderosa pine savanna with a lovely understory of grasses and wildflowers, to open Palouse prairie where the grasses and forbs are on full display, and then through more savanna, and end under a closed forest canopy. This suite of habitats is a haven for wildlife and pollinators alike.”
“I am so happy that it is getting the protection and attention it deserves. This project is a perfect example of what can happen when you get the right group of people in the room together.”
Your gifts to the Palouse Land Trust, along with a grant from the Heart of the Rockies and The Kendeda Fund, and a grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service secured the remaining funds needed to permanently protect this critical wildlife habitat and travel corridor, native Palouse Prairie remnants and restoration.
“This has surely become one of my personal happy places, and a place where the diversity of our landscape truly shines,” shares Karl Meyer, PLT Conservation Projects Manager. “This is such a special property, one that we could not be more proud to protect,” all thanks to the continued support of conservation advocates like you.
Thank you for being in the room together for this amazing project.
Inspired? Your gift today will safeguard Palouse prairie and advance conservation projects like Sarah’s.