This past May, the Southwest Montana community lost a true champion of open spaces. Read about Doug Payne and his decision to establish the Thomas & Shirley Payne Land Protection Endowment at GVLT, a significant and foundational planned gift that beautifully intertwines his own legacy with that of his parents, ensuring their collective devotion to Montana’s open spaces endures forever.

We are thrilled to announce that over 600 acres of stunning agricultural land in the northeastern Bridger Foothills have been permanently protected.

GVLT is thrilled to announce the closing of a 394-acre conservation easement on the historic Robison Ranch in Madison County near McAllister.

Spring is an exciting time of year at GVLT. While our Trails team is busy preparing for trail enhancement and maintenance projects and volunteer events, our Conservation Stewardship team has begun their busiest season of the year: field season.

A vital 437-acre piece of the Paradise Valley landscape has been permanently protected through a voluntary conservation easement established by the Nickelson family in partnership with Northern Yellowstone Open Lands, a regional initiative of the Gallatin Valley Land Trust.

GVLT has reached a historic milestone in regional land conservation: 75,000 total acres of highly productive agricultural, wildlife-rich, and scenic open lands permanently protected across Gallatin, Park, and Madison counties.

The iconic Bridger Ridge Trail is now fully and forever in public hands. Following a multi-year effort, a final 0.6-mile stretch of private land south of Mount Baldy has been officially transferred to the U.S. Forest Service. 

GVLT is thrilled to announce the permanent conservation of 190 acres near South Cottonwood Creek.

2025 brought exciting wins and challenging setbacks in our efforts to support land conservation throughout the county. Learn more about the projects, the partnerships, and the people who make this work possible.

Read the December 2025 Montana Free Press article.

We’d love to hear about your interest in becoming our next Lands Director, one of the great conservation leadership positions in the West. It’s a rare opportunity to help lead a highly respected and accomplished land trust in a region of remarkable beauty.

Read reflections from GVLT Conservation Director Brendan Weiner as he wraps up his incredible 12-year tenure with the land trust and see messages of appreciation from colleagues and partners for his legacy of conservation.

Private philanthropy has emerged as a critical driver in land conservation, helping protect productive agricultural, wildlife-rich, and scenic open lands.

Bozeman’s beloved Gallatin County Regional Park exists thanks to the residents of Gallatin County and their support for the Open Lands Program, which helped fund the acquisition of the 87-acre park. Learn more about how a rare opportunity became a stunning jewel.

The already established conservation easement on Rocky Creek Farm was important to Matt and Jacy Rothschillers and their group of investors when they purchased the property in 2017 to expand their certified-organic Gallatin Valley Botanical operations. The Gallatin County Open Lands program helped cover transaction costs for the project when the easement was created by the previous landowner, Pete Fay, in 2006.

Over 1,500 acres of highly scenic agricultural land in Paradise Valley’s stunning Mill Creek drainage will remain intact and undeveloped through a conservation easement established by Alan and Laurie Redfield and Sarah Nollemeyer, in partnership with GVLT’s Northern Yellowstone Open Lands initiative.

One of the 64 projects supported by the Gallatin County Open Lands Program is the 300-acre Bos Hay & Grain conservation easement on Gooch Hill, an area just east of Gallatin Gateway known for its prime agricultural soils and breathtaking panoramic views.

Robert and Valerie Anderson have partnered with GVLT’s Northern Yellowstone Open Lands initiative of Gallatin Valley Land Trust to conserve their 884-acre historic family ranch, located southwest of Livingston in the Trail Creek area.

In response to growing interest from Park County landowners, community members, and conservation partners, GVLT has launched Northern Yellowstone Open Lands—a conservation initiative based in Livingston, Montana.

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the voter-approved Gallatin County Open Lands Program. Learn how the program has helped us preserve the things we love about our region, even as the community continues to grow and change.