Lemhi Regional Land Trust

Conserving Landscapes & Lifestyles in Central Idaho

In 2005, a handful of local ranchers gathered to discuss the need for an organization dedicated to private lands conservation in central Idaho.  There was no checkbook, no office and no funding, only a vision, passion and a hometown executive director working ten hours per week.  At the time LRLT vowed to be your locally governed, founded and staffed non-profit organization dedicated to voluntary private lands conservation, a lofty goal for a new organization.  In the early days, no one was quite sure how to accomplish this task, only that the working ranches, open spaces and wildlife habitat of Lemhi County needed protected.

The same vision and passion that drove LRLT’s visionaries continues to drive us today.  Today we have a checkbook and office of our very own in the heart of downtown Salmon.  Our staff and board are privileged to live, work and play alongside you in the valley we call home.  But most importantly we are accomplishing the goal of our founders, protecting the ranches, open spaces and wildlife habitat of central Idaho.  

So who exactly are we?

Learn more about our board and staff below:

Bob Russell

Chairman

Bob retired in 2006, after 39 years with the Forest Service as Forest Supervisor on the Dixie National Forest in southwest Utah. He and his wife Nancy moved back to Salmon immediately after his retirement, where they had both worked for the Salmon (then Salmon-Challis) National Forest for 15 years. A forester and hydrologist by training, Bob has spent a lifetime in pursuit of the sustainable use of the abundant natural resources of the West. Bob has been an active non-profit volunteer in the community of Salmon since 1988.

    Ingrid Fulstone

    Co-Chair

    Raised on a family farm in Nebraska, Ingrid grew up with a deep appreciation for agriculture and its rich history and is dedicated to ensuring agriculture opportunities remain available for future generations. After graduating with a bachelors degree in Rangeland Management, she started her career working for the United States Forest Service as a Rangeland Management Specialist. Throughout her career she has worked in South Dakota, Nevada, eastern California and occasionally in Azrou, Morocco before settling in Lemhi County in 2010 with her husband. Currently Ingrid is employed by the US Forest Service International Programs Disaster Support Team as a Rangelands and Livestock Program Specialist.

      Kyra Povirk

      Treasurer

      Kyra and husband, Dave, came to Salmon from north central Wyoming in 2001. Her career in environmental consulting services took her across the west, Alaska and Florida, doing everything from invasive plant survey, sage grouse habitat assessment, archaeological surveys, vegetation mapping, fuel load assessment, fire management planning, gas field work, rangeland health assessment, and more.  Kyra joined the Salmon BLM in 2009 as a rangeland management specialist and held the Salmon-Cobalt and Leadore District Ranger position from 2018 to 2022.  She currently works for the Six Rivers National Forest remotely from Salmon.  She enjoys native plant gardening, spending time with family and entertaining dogs Sadie, Lucile Ball, and Rosie.

        Ace Hess

        Director

        From an early age, Ace was drawn to the wide-open landscapes of Central Idaho. With family roots that can be traced back well over 100 years in Lemhi and Custer Counties, he has a great appreciation for the customs and cultures of this amazing landscape. Over the course of his career, Ace spent sixteen years managing invasive species and restoring native habitats for the Challis field office of the Bureau of Land Management and also spent time in the fuels reduction, fire, range management, wildlife and fisheries programs. Today, he works for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and as a river guide in the summer. Ace recognizes how vital healthy working landscapes are to the people, fish and wildlife that call this awesome place home and is excited to join LRLT in their mission to conserve these places.

          Becca Aceto

          Director

          After receiving a degree in Natural Resources from the University of Kentucky, Becca made her way to Idaho and hasn’t left since. Her career includes time working for the range and wildlife departments on the Sawtooth National Forest, getting to know the Forest’s rangelands intimately while surveying native and invasive vegetation. She also spent a season working in the Frank Church as a wilderness ranger with the Payette National Forest. She currently works for the Salmon-Challis National Forest as a Partnership Field Coordinator. Becca is passionate about the quiet mountains of Central Idaho that support healthy fish and wildlife populations alongside working lands.

            Mike Dougherty

            Director

            Raised in rural county working on a farm ingrained an appreciation for the land, natural resources and wildlife for Mike. A lifetime of outdoor pursuits including hunting and fishing, along with travel throughout the country reinforced those thoughts and the need to conserve family agricultural lands. After receiving his bachelors of science degree in Engineering & Management, Mike has held various positions in application engineering, technical sales and marketing management with process control & pump manufacturing companies for over 35 years. Mike and his wife, Jane, have been landowners in Lemhi County since 1998.

              Mike Kossler

              Director

              Mike’s family moved to Lemhi County in 1974 from Colorado. Mike has an agriculture degree from Colorado State University and has been involved in ranch work throughout his life. He was most recently a ranch manager on Eagle Valley Ranch in Lemhi County, where he worked cooperatively with Idaho Fish and Game and Lemhi Regional Land Trust in his role as ranch manager. Mike also serves on the Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District board, Whitewater Therapeutic Riding and Recreation board and is a past president of the Lemhi County Cattle and Horse Grower Association. He is currently retired and lives with his wife, Ann, in Lemhi County.

                Makenze Hodges

                Outreach & Office Coordinator
                makenze@lemhilandtrust.org

                After earning her degree in Agricultural Science, Communication, and Leadership from the University of Idaho, Makenze worked for a forestry consulting company, honing her skills in communication, fundraising, and HR. In 2023, after welcoming their son, she and her husband relocated from Moscow to Salmon. Makenze has embraced her new community by volunteering for the Salmon School Garden and the local 4-H program. As she takes on the role of Outreach & Office Coordinator at the Lemhi Regional Land Trust, she looks forward to applying her skills to help the community and landowners in the area.

                  Charli Williams

                  Executive Director
                  charli@lemhilandtrust.org

                  The seventh generation born into a southern Utah ranch family, Charli seized the opportunity returned to the valley her family has called home since 1999 and joined LRLT’s staff in 2011 after receiving a bachelors degree in Agricultural Science, Communications and Leadership from the University of Idaho. Her first twelve years at LRLT were focused on financial management and communications, and in 2023 she moved into the role of Executive Director. As Executive Director she works closely with the Board of Directors and oversees all facets of LRLT’s operations including the office, staff, budget, fundraising, conservation and stewardship programs. Charli is also a leader with the Lemhi County 4-H program, where she leads market beef, market lamb, breeding sheep and cooking projects and is the treasurer for the Lemhi County Junior Livestock Program.

                    Heidi Messner

                    Conservation Coordinator
                    heidi@lemhilandtrust.org

                    Heidi grew up recreating in the mountains and working and playing on the rivers of around Idaho, working on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers starting at the age of 14. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management from the University of Idaho, Heidi worked for multiple agencies as a Fisheries Technician and eventually moved back to her hometown of Salmon where she most recently worked s a Project Planner for the Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Program and Office of Species Conservation. At LRLT, Heidi will be spearheading our conservation easement and land acquisition projects. Outside of work, Heidi is a busy mother of two wild and adventurous boys, runs her own artwork business, Custom Fish Art by Heidi, is a ski patroller, and enjoys hunting, biking, and spending time in the outdoors with family and friends.