A 97.5-acre parcel in Buffalo Valley has just been given protection under a new conservation easement. The Jackson Hole Land Trust announced Wednesday that the Gun Barrel Flats Ranch that was once the Walt and Betty Feuz Ranch was given protection in perpetuity on May 11th. Nestled between Grand Teton National Park and existing conservation properties, the new easement protects essential wildlife habitat connectivity and homesteading legacy in the Buffalo Valley.
The conserved acreage safeguards historic working lands and open space. Landowners Brad and JoAnne Luton, respectively fourth and third-generation natives, have grown up together and have stewarded this valley alongside their families. In 1910, JoAnne’s grandparents originally homesteaded to the south along Spread Creek, and Walt was just 18 when he bought his own land along the Buffalo Fork and began ranching and haying. Today, the Luton’s keep horses and host guests in their hand-hewn cabins.
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