A family ranch near Ashton, Idaho, is now permanently protected by a conservation easement that limits how the land can be developed. The agreement safeguards 1,686 acres of Flying A Ranch while allowing the Atchley family to continue farming and ranching. The move also protects an important wildlife migration corridor used by mule deer travelling from Wyoming into Idaho, along with habitat for several other species.
A homestead that turned into a potato business
The Atchley family has worked this land since 1901, when James Arthur Atchley moved from Tennessee and claimed it. He founded Atchley Farms in 1906. According to earlier records, the family’s potato-growing history goes back even further, Teton Valley News reported. In 1923, James won a blue ribbon at the Eastern Idaho State Fair.Today, the ranch covers roughly 5,000 acres and grows seed potatoes on 800 to 1,000 acres. It sells up to 250,000 sacks a year, mostly to buyers in the Pacific Northwest who turn them into French fries, according to the Ashton Chamber of Commerce.
The man who pushed for the conservation easement
James Arthur Atchley’s grandson, Clen Atchley, who served on the Teton Regional Land Trust’s (TRLT) early board, was particularly keen to protect the ranch.In an earlier interview with the Wyoming Migration Initiative, Clen explained his reasons. “We realize in watching what’s happening in this county and Teton County that this land is getting to be more valuable, and it’s starting to disappear because they’re developing a lot of it. And we don’t want to see this developed.”He spent years arguing for the protection of eastern Idaho farmland and died in 2024, partway through the project. His daughter, Laura Pickard, and her husband, Clay, now run the ranch day to day. They wanted to honour the family’s legacy and fulfil both Clen’s and James’s wishes. Clen’s widow, Emma Atchley, continued working in the seed potato greenhouse, while the Pickards managed the ranch.“This has been a multiyear project that has come to fruition through countless hours and significant effort… We are so grateful to have been able to work with them to protect this very special part of our farm for many generations to come,” the Pickards said in a statement.
A deer route that needed protection
Through this easement, the Atchley family is protecting not only the ranch but also a deer migration route. Mule deer travel through this landscape from Wyoming and cross into Idaho. Once they cross the border, they depend almost entirely on private land to complete their journey, according to TRLT. Protecting working ranches like this one keeps the route open as development expands elsewhere.“The Flying A property is an exceptional asset within this landscape, supporting a rich assemblage of wildlife species, including many classified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need,” Josh Rydalch, a regional wildlife biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said.About 1.3 miles of Bitch Creek runs along the southern edge of the property, supporting streamside habitat.Beyond the ranch, the easement also covers habitat identified as a conservation priority in the Idaho State Wildlife Action Plan, including areas important to grizzly bears, Yellowstone cutthroat trout and ferruginous hawks. The property lies next to two existing TRLT easements, while nearby land is managed by state and federal agencies. Drivers on Idaho State Highway 32 will continue to enjoy views of open farmland.With this easement, the land is protected while remaining in the family’s ownership. The family can continue farming and ranching, as the easement limits development without taking the property away from them. This means the land will not be turned into data centres, residential buildings or similar developments. The project was funded through the family’s donation of the easement, along with support from federal and state programmes and private organisations, including the Knobloch Family Foundation and The Nature Conservancy in Idaho.
