Lemhi Regional Land Trust secures funding for 617-acre easement on Carmen Creek

Keep It Connected recently helped to secure funds for a new Lemhi Regional Land Trust project northeast of Salmon, Idaho. The Carmen Creek project will protect 617 acres of quality habitat that supports mule deer, elk, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, black bear, and mountain lion, as well as a section of Carmen Creek that supports bull trout, Snake River Basin steelhead trout, and Chinook salmon. 

In addition to the wildlife value of the property, the project also adds momentum to a growing conservation effort in the Carmen Creek drainage. The family, who is known for their intentional stewardship and care of the land, has the potential to inspire other landowners in the region to consider conservation easements. 

To date, Keep It Connected has raised just shy of $700,000 for the land trust, which they have used to leverage over $4.3 million in Natural Resources Conservation Service funds. “If it wasn’t for Keep It Connected, we wouldn’t be doing this project or utilizing NRCS ALE funds [because] Idaho has no source of state matching funds,” said Charli Williams, Executive Director of Lemhi Regional Land Trust, “[Keep It Connected] dollars are essential for us.”
Lemhi Regional Land Trust was able to secure funds by June of 2025, which coincided with the land trust’s 20th anniversary celebration, which they held on the property. Read more about their celebration and the Carmen Creek project in their summer newsletter here.