By Maria Vandervert, Communications & Engagement Director
Nestled along the foothills of Mica Peak in North Idaho is a stretch of land that has shaped one family for generations. Today, that land, 300 acres known as Quail Haven, is permanently protected through a conservation easement with Inland Northwest Land Conservancy. For landowner Cindy Mead, the decision to conserve her property grew out of a lifetime of memories, a commitment to safeguarding wild habitat, and a desire to ensure the land remains protected from development.
Cindy grew up on the property with her two sisters. After her father passed away, she inherited a portion of the property now known as Quail Haven, where she still lives today. Some of her clearest memories are of working out in the woods with “Dad”—learning how to care for the forest. Those early experiences shaped her connection to the land and her desire to see it remain whole. As development pressure increased, she knew she didn’t want to see the property subdivided and grew increasingly concerned about the future of the land she loves.
“At some point, if we want wildlife around, we have to give them a place to be,” Cindy said. “I grew up walking these hills with my dad. I don’t want to see it broken up or lose the healthy forest and wildlife that make it special. Protecting it forever felt like the right thing to do.”
Over the years, Cindy has actively managed the forest with professional guidance to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk.
Quail Haven sits in a strategic ecological position on Blossom Mountain in the Mica Peak complex. Its forested slopes, seasonal draws, and stretches of Skalan Creek support a wide range of wildlife—elk, moose, deer, black bears, cougars, bobcats, ruffed grouse, turkey, snowshoe hare, and countless songbirds and raptors. Several Species of Greatest Conservation Need also rely on these woodlands, including the common nighthawk, monarch butterfly, western bumblebee, and native bat species.
This easement was years in the making, but the federal funding needed to complete the project was unexpectedly cut, leaving a gap that required additional private support. When they learned about the opportunity to conserve Quail Haven, Mark, Cory, and Eric Odegard chose to make a gift. As long-time supporters of sustainability and healthy communities, they saw a chance to protect a critical piece of land that might otherwise be lost to development.
“One modest gift can make a substantial impact,” said Mark Odegard. “INLC is preserving land that will never be developed, and that’s vital for the health of our region. The results are visible—you can see the land, walk its ridges, and know it’s protected in perpetuity.”
For Cindy, protecting the land comes down to keeping it intact, ensuring the full 300 acres remain whole and healthy. Because of Cindy’s commitment and the Odegards’ generosity, Quail Haven will be protected forever.
Related Articles:
About Mica Peak: Find out more Mica Peak and the Conservancy’s strategic approach to conservation.
Ways to Give: It’s easy to become a member. Find out more about donating, conservation gifts, gifts of stock, land, planned giving, gifts from retirement assets, endowment giving, and more.
Idaho Conservation: Meet Wes Hanson, conservation easement owner of 158 acres above Lake Coeur d’Alene.
More on Quail Haven: Inland Northwest Land Conservancy announces permanent protections of 300 acres dubbed ‘Quail Haven’
300 Acres Conserved: 300 acres on Mica Peak Foothills will be part of newly conserved property
