The Sheridan Community Land Trust (SCLT) recently sealed the deal on the purchase of 117 acres just a few miles outside of the town’s Main Street. The new property is called the Big Goose Natural Area and will open up opportunities for recreation, historical preservation and conservation for the local community.
Half a mile of Big Goose Creek flows through the land, which is roughly the size of 100 football fields and offers views of the Big Horn Mountains to the west. SCLT Executive Director Brad Bauer says there’s going to be a lot of different ecosystems to explore.
“There's hay meadows, there's upland grasslands, there's cottonwood forests,” he said. “ As soon as spring, we'll have a little mowed trail out here where you can park at our office and go for a walk.”
The nonprofit worked with their neighbor, the Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation, to purchase the property over a two-year process. The land had been part of the foundation’s larger Bridges campus and is right next to SCLT’s current office building.
“ They retained ownership to some of the adjacent property, and we'll have very compatible, collaborative uses between the two properties,” said Bauer.
SCLT developed and maintains a number of trail systems in the greater Sheridan area and hosts “Discovery Sessions” to help community members connect to the surrounding landscapes and histories. The executive director added that the Big Goose Natural Area will open up even more opportunities for local, easy-to-access recreation.
“ I envision folks coming out to go for a walk after work, maybe they're coming out with their grandkids to go learn how to fish on the creek, or maybe they just want to come and experience some of the beauty that is our great Wyoming backyard, but just really close to town as well,” he said.
Bauer said SCLT plans to add interpretive signs to help educate visitors about local ecology and history. They’ve also got plans to replace existing fences with wildlife-friendly fencing and support the health of the Big Goose Creek, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Powder River Basin Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
“ We would like to stabilize the stream bank, which is eroding and contributing sediment to the stream,” he said. “While we're stabilizing the bank, we’d like to improve the fisheries habitats by allowing willows and trees to shade the stream.”
Bauer also hopes to build an accessible fishing ramp during that stabilization process for folks using wheelchairs or mobility devices. SLCT will also have calves grazing on the property in the fall and are partnering with the University of Wyoming Extension to study invasive grasses.
The land trust also has a handful of community rooms for rent in their office building on the Big Goose Natural Area, which can hold anywhere from eight to 50 people. They’ve already hosted groups like local foods organization Rooted in Wyoming and a fly-fishing organization that holds a monthly fly-tying get-together there.
“ All sorts of groups have been using that space and we're just excited to see that continue to grow,” said Bauer. “It's a way for us to support our community in areas that maybe we don't have the capacity or the expertise to work in, but we know that somebody else does.”
Come spring, SCLT will mow a one-mile walking trail onto the land and officially open the Big Goose Natural Area to the public. Folks can stop by the SCLT office for a tour of the property until then, and Bauer said there’ll be no shortage of ways for the community to get more involved as the project gets going.
“ We'll have plenty opportunities in the future for volunteers to help us make some of those modifications to fences, to do some cleanup as we build the trails, he said. “We’re excited to have school groups and individuals who want to participate in that way to help us out.”
