SIHA News and Events
The Sawtooth Association accepts a generous land donation in the Sawtooth Valley!
The Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association (Sawtooth Association) is thrilled to announce we have accepted a donation of the old “Sessions Lodge” property, located in Obsidian, from Smiley Creek Bears, LLC.
The mid-valley hub will be called the Center for the Sawtooths. The generous donation will, over time, allow the Sawtooth Association to build a year-round presence. The site will include a visitor center and provide staff and other critical nonprofit partners with housing and office space. Our vision is to build a legacy for future generations with an education center that serves visitors and the local community. The facility will be used to strengthen visitors’ land ethics, support research and educational entities, and develop new learning opportunities.
The land donors, Al, Ezra, and Amelia Jones, are longtime residents of the area and shared, “We are really pleased to be able to make this donation. We are excited to be part of a committed team of people and organizations working together to help preserve and enhance the Sawtooth Valley’s natural beauty we all love so much.”
“The Sawtooth Association is honored to receive this once-in-a-lifetime gift that will benefit education, preservation and conservation programming for generations to come in the Sawtooth Valley,” said Stewart Wilder, President of the Board of Directors.
In 1972, the Sawtooth Association was established as a Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) partner. Our mission is to protect and advance the natural and cultural history of Idaho’s Sawtooth and Salmon River country through preservation and education. We provide interpretive programs and educational material focusing on reducing the impact of visitors on the SNRA. You will find SIHA’s crew operating the Redfish Visitor Center & Gallery and the Stanley Museum; teaching leave-no-trace principles at trailhead portals; inspiring young visitors in junior ranger programs; hosting events such as the Sawtooth Salmon Festival and Forum and Lecture Series, plus so much more. Funds are generated by book sales, membership fees, donations, and grants.
“The Sawtooth Association is always looking for opportunities to engage our wider community. It’s exciting to imagine all the ways this site can help fill the needs of our community and nonprofit partners,” said Lin Gray, the Sawtooth Association’s executive director. “We have a lot of work ahead of us. We are energized to bring our vision of an educational center, serving the Sawtooths, to life.”
The public can expect to hear more about this project in the coming months as we begin to work through a master planning process. Volunteers have already begun demolition and site clean up. If you are interested in donating to the project at this stage or would like to join a work party, you can find more details here: discoversawtooth.org/center-for-the-sawtooths.
