In 2012, landowner Charlie Hart donated a conservation easement to SCLT on his 240-acre property east of Big Horn, WY. This beautiful property in the scenic Bighorn foothills protects the headwaters of McCormick Creek, a tributary of Little Goose Creek. The property is made up of roughly 100 acres of productive irrigated farmlands, important riparian draws along McCormick Creek, and 140 acres of native rangeland and sagebrush habitat.
Hart’s McCormick Creek conservation easement is a key piece for overall conservation in the Bighorn foothills area. It links to two existing conservation easements for a total of 1,230 continuous acres permanently protected that provide a key corridor for migrating elk and mule deer. The area is and will remain one of the most scenic and photographed landscapes, located at the foothills of Moncrieffe Ridge.
Charles Hart purchased the property in 1988 from long-time ranchers Cecil and Shelia Garber and has continued to improve the property’s productivity and overall wildlife habitat giving credence to the legacy established by Cecil and Sheila. Hart is quick to point to the Garber’s legacy laying the foundation for his decision to protect the property with a conservation easement.
“On behalf of the residents of Sheridan County, I would like to thank Charlie for his vision and desire to protect a productive and beautiful acreage that epitomizes the working relationship between well-managed agriculture and wildlife habitat”, said Margie Taylor, Sheridan Community Land Trust Board President.
