BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Officials with the Nature Conservancy say they have reached an agreement to protect more than 1,600 acres critical to protecting fish and restoring stream flows in the Pashimeroi River. The conservation group announced the deal late last month to set aside land at Big Creek Ranch into a conservation easement. The ranch is owned by the Page family and family member Tom Page says the deal is a tribute to his father. The Nature Conservancy worked with state agencies to secure funding for the deal. The family contributed a portion of the value of the easement through a bargain sale. The agreement secures in-stream flow aimed at helping reconnect Sulphur Creek to the Pashimeroi. Officials hope the added water and habitat improvements benefit salmon, steelhead and bull trout.

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