lOCATION: Confluence of Big HAt creek & Hat Creek, Ellis IDaho
Land Size: 240 acres
YEAR COMPLETED: 2026
Lemhi Regional Land Trust (LRLT) is proud to announce the permanent protection of 240 acres of sagebrush steppe rangeland and vital riparian habitat along Big Hat Creek and Hat Creek, generously donated by landowners Erik Storlie and Tamara Kaiser. Their deep commitment reflects a shared dedication to preserving Lemhi County’s working lands, open spaces, and wildlife habitat for generations to come.
Stretching across 240 acres, the property encompasses 1.14 miles of Hat Creek and an additional 0.18 miles of Big Hat Creek. These healthy stream corridors wind through sagebrush steppe and open rangeland, creating a landscape rich in natural beauty and ecological importance. This land is valuable not just for its scenic beauty, but for its healthy streams, rich wildlife habitat, working agricultural use, and the open space it provides for future generations.
Healthy sagebrush ecosystems and intact riparian areas are among Idaho’s most vital and increasingly rare habitats. The protected lands along Big Hat Creek and Hat Creek provide critical habitat for native wildlife species such as greater sage-grouse, fish supported by cold-water stream systems, raptors, waterfowl, and herons. Large mammals including elk, deer, and moose as well as carnivores, including bears, mountain lions and more, also rely on these lands, along with countless other native plants and animals that depend on connected, undisturbed landscapes. Protecting this property and habitat found on it helps safeguard water quality, stabilize streambanks, and maintain the lush riparian vegetation essential for wildlife and downstream users alike.
