The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands

What The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands does

The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands (IFPL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust established in December 1972 by Governor Cecil Andrus as a statewide public benefit organization. It is the oldest land trust in Idaho and operates from a single office in Boise with five employees, conserving open space through fee simple property ownership, conservation easements, life estate transfers, and ongoing land stewardship. Its portfolio spans more than 8,200 acres across Idaho, including the Barber Pool Wildlife Refuge (700+ acres, Boise), the Reinheimer Ranch (110 acres, Ketchum), the 18 Mile Ranch (7,180 acres, Kilgore), the Lake Fork Creek property (54 acres, McCall), and the Elliot Creek Conservation Easement (191 acres, Teton County), as well as infrastructure such as the Plantation Island Greenbelt Bridge.

IFPL does not sell products or services; its revenue model is built on tax-deductible monetary donations, stock and securities gifts, and in-kind transfers of real property through fee simple or conservation easement arrangements. The Foundation has handled more than $12 million in real estate assets while maintaining an administrative budget at or below 1% of asset base, reflecting an extremely lean operating cost structure. Distribution and donor engagement occur through the idaholands.org website, PayPal online donations, monthly email newsletters, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram channels, plus volunteer programs covering clean-ups, stewardship surveys, and community outreach events.

Strategic partners include the US Army Corps of Engineers (which completed the 2002 Barber Pool master plan), FEMA (which funded 75% of Plantation Island bridge repairs), the Idaho Shakespeare Foundation, the Idaho Conservation League, Boise Cascade Corporation, Micron, and Warner Construction, alongside legacy donors such as TR Shelby, Eleanor Reinheimer, Nelle Tobias, and Ron Yanke. Governance is provided by a board originally appointed by the Governor of Idaho, with Brian McDevitt serving as Foundation Chair and Kendra Kenyon as Executive Director during the organization's 50th anniversary in 2022.

Name

The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands

Legal name

Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands

Website

https://idaholands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1972 in Boise, Idaho, conserving more than 8,200 acres of open space across the state through fee simple ownership, conservation easements, and land stewardship, funded by donations and volunteer support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation and Environmental Stewardship

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAC

Land Trusts & Protected Areas

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYAFAMAMAH

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Forest Ecosystem Services

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Conservation easements
• Wildlife refuge management
• Nonprofit land trust
• Natural land preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations to support land conservation efforts. The organization is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS with EIN 23-7255461.
2. Stock Donations: Donations of long-term appreciated securities including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, allowing donors to potentially avoid capital gains while increasing their charitable impact.
3. Property Transfer: Fee simple agreements where donors transfer complete ownership of property to the Foundation, or life estate transfers where donors retain living rights.
4. Conservation Easements: Voluntary legal contracts that permanently limit uses of land to protect conservation values while allowing landowners to retain ownership, use, and transfer rights.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust that acquires, holds, and stewards conserved lands and conservation easements across Idaho to protect natural, agricultural, and recreational resources in perpetuity. It accepts cash donations, stock gifts, and property transfers, and manages a portfolio of properties including wildlife refuges, ranches, and creekside conservation easements. It also engages volunteers and partners with corporations, foundations, and government agencies to maintain public access and habitat.

Product overview

The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands is a statewide public benefit privately-funded land conservation organization that preserves and protects open space lands and unique natural settings through flexible conservation methods. The organization offers a portfolio of conservation properties including the Barber Pool Wildlife Refuge (700+ acres), Reinheimer Ranch (110 acres), 18 Mile Ranch (7,180 acres), Elliot Creek Conservation Easement (191 acres), and Lake Fork Creek Property (54 acres). Beyond property management, services include monetary and stock donations, land protection planning, conservation easements, property transfers, and volunteer programs for habitat restoration and stewardship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Barber Pool Wildlife Refuge
• 18 Mile Ranch
• Reinheimer Ranch
• Elliot Creek Conservation Easement Property
• Lake Fork Creek Property
• Plantation Island Greenbelt Bridge
• Charitable Donation Program (cash, stock, and property gifts)
• Volunteer Stewardship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Handled over $12 million in real estate assets with administrative budget never exceeding 1% of asset base

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Boise Cascade CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoise Cascade donated the Barber Pool to the Foundation in 1978, establishing one of the Foundation's flagship conservation properties. This initial donation of hundreds of acres was instrumental in forming the organization's conservation portfolio.
• TR ShelbycoreOthersTR Shelby gifted the 7,180-acre 18 Mile Ranch near Kilgore, Idaho to the Foundation in 2022 in memory of his late wife Emily Stone Shelby. The gift comes with the wish to preserve the property as a working ranch supporting conservation.
• Eleanor ReinheimercoreOthersEleanor Reinheimer donated the 110-acre Reinheimer Ranch to the Foundation in 1977, creating one of the organization's most significant properties adjacent to Ketchum.
• Nelle TobiascoreOthersNelle Tobias donated 51.5 acres in 1982 and 2.62 acres in 1996 totaling 54.12 acres at Lake Fork Creek near McCall. Tobias was a prominent Idaho conservationist who helped found the Idaho Conservation League.
• US Army Corps of EngineersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAt the Foundation's request, the Army Corps of Engineers undertook detailed surveys of the Barber Pool Conservation Area and developed a master plan completed in 2002. A new master planning effort was initiated in 2020 with Ramboll Consulting.
• Idaho Shakespeare FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Idaho Shakespeare Foundation has been an important partner in helping raise funds to purchase parcels near the Barber Pool Conservation Area, preventing residential development within the area.
• Idaho Conservation LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Idaho Conservation League was co-founded by Nelle Tobias, a major donor to the Foundation. The organizations share conservation goals for Idaho.
• Ron Yanke and Yanke Machine ShopmajorOthersRon Yanke donated the Plantation Greenbelt steel bridge to the Foundation, which was placed into service in 1990. Yanke Machine Shop built the bridge to benefit the community.
• MicronminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicron conducted volunteer days at the Barber Pool Conservation Area as part of their corporate volunteer program.
• Warner ConstructionminorOthersWarner Construction donated time, services, equipment, and operators for the Gregerson property cleanup at Barber Pool Conservation Area.
• Boise River Trail Foundation (F.A.C.T.S.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessor organization to Boise River Trail Foundation, F.A.C.T.S. (Foundation for Ada/Canyon Trail System) handled negotiations for bridge construction and abutments on Plantation Island in 1990.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Open Space Institute: Regional conservation organization protecting scenic, recreational, and ecological lands in the Northeast and increasingly across the US. Comparable in deploying fee-simple acquisition, easements, and partnership-driven land protection, with a similarly lean operating structure.
• Idaho Conservation League: Idaho's oldest statewide environmental nonprofit, explicitly named as a peer partner in IFPL's data. Focused on land, water, and wildlife conservation in Idaho — overlapping mission, donor base, and geography with IFPL, though it operates more through advocacy than land ownership.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that acquires and stewards conservation land using the same toolkit as IFPL (fee simple, easements, public-private partnerships with government). Directly comparable business model around conservation real estate, with an active Idaho/Pacific Northwest presence.
• The Conservation Fund: National nonprofit that works with federal, state, and private partners to conserve land, using conservation easements and fee-simple acquisitions. Closely aligned in operating model and conservation real estate focus with IFPL.
• Montana Land Reliance: Montana-focused land trust specializing in conservation easements and working ranch preservation — directly comparable to IFPL's Reinheimer Ranch, 18 Mile Ranch, and Lake Fork Creek holdings. Same nonprofit land trust model applied in a neighboring Intermountain West state.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: The largest global conservation organization operating a fee-simple and easement land trust model very similar to IFPL. Comparable in mission and methods (conservation easements, fee simple ownership, donor-advised land gifts) but vastly larger in scale, scope, and budget.
• Land Trust Alliance: National membership organization representing 1,000+ land trusts across the US. IFPL operates under Land Trust Alliance standards as a member, making it a direct institutional peer and ecosystem leader for the same constituency IFPL serves.
• National Audubon Society: Large national conservation nonprofit with overlapping focus on bird/wildlife habitat and protected land stewardship. While more advocacy- and chapter-driven than IFPL, it competes for the same conservation donor dollars and operates comparable sanctuaries.

Emerging players

• Ducks Unlimited: Wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation organization that acquires and manages land (including conservation easements on working lands) across the US, with an active Idaho presence. Overlaps with IFPL on riparian habitat work like the Barber Pool Conservation Area.
• Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Wildlife habitat-focused land trust with strong Idaho presence, conserving land for elk and other wildlife. Partial overlap with IFPL on habitat conservation easements and fee-simple acquisitions in the same Intermountain West geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/idahoparksandlands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idaho4lands
• Instagraminstagram.com/Idaho4Lands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands