The Cutoff Protects Sage-Grouse, Migration, Open Lands

A successful collaboration between local landowners and the Green River Valley Program (GRVP) of the Jackson Hole Land Trust has resulted in the protection of 80 acres of a crucial ungulate migration corridor outside of Boulder through a new conservation easement. The Cutoff Conservation Easement protects aspen groves, wet meadows, and sagebrush uplands that provide habitat for migrating ungulates, including mule deer, elk, and antelope. Landowners Mark Headley and Christina Pehl generously donated this easement to provide vital wildlife habitat and open space along the Wind River Front for future generations.

The Cutoff, an 80-acre private inholding within Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, sits at the southern end of the Wind River Range on the Lander Cutoff Road. The property’s protection is a significant step forward in safeguarding wildlife migration corridors across Wyoming as the property is within the designated Sublette Mule Deer Migration Corridor and the main artery of the Red Desert to Hoback mule deer migration corridor, the longest known ungulate migration in the continental United States.

The conservation easement protects a diverse mosaic of habitat types — benefiting mule deer migration corridors, crucial elk range, and important seasonal habitats for mule deer, moose, and pronghorn — while ensuring landscape connectivity. The entirety of the property lies within the Greater South Pass Sage-Grouse Core Area and provides vital brood-rearing habitat for sage-grouse. On a visit to the property, JHLT staff were thrilled to observe juvenile sage-grouse in wet meadow and upland sagebrush habitat.

Mark and Christina chose to place an easement on their beloved property to protect a cherished part of Sublette County, where their entire family appreciates spending quality time together hiking, rock climbing, and observing wildlife. “Mark and Christina are true conservation pioneers that have done so much to protect Wyoming’s irreplaceable wild places,” said GRVP Director Kerry Gold. “This gesture is one of the biggest impacts anyone could make in preserving vital landscapes for the wildlife we all love. We are so grateful and thrilled for them.”

As committed conservationists, the couple recognizes that conservation easements are a powerful tool for reducing habitat loss and fragmentation. “It is my family’s great pleasure to team up with the JHLT to provide permanent protection for a truly unique part of Wyoming,” said Headley. “Protecting critical migration routes and rest stops for animals is a particularly high priority for us. The JHLT’s highly professional team has been a great partner.”

Photo: Zach Andres