Over 600 acres in Northeast Bridger Foothills Conserved
We are thrilled to announce that over 600 acres of stunning agricultural land in the northeastern Bridger Foothills have been permanently protected.
The newly conserved property is near the Custer-Gallatin National Forest and 6,000 acres of other protected private lands. A mosaic of habitat types, the property serves as summer range for elk and mule deer and excellent riparian habitat for moose, bears, mountain lions, white-tailed deer, and a wide range of other wildlife.
In recent years, this area of the northern Bridger Range has faced an increasing threat of subdivision and development from people seeking a rural lifestyle near Bozeman. Establishing a voluntary land protection agreement, or “conservation easement,” ensures the land will be available for agriculture and wildlife for generations to come, while also protecting its stunning views and clean water.
In addition to a generous donation of land value by the landowners, the conservation easement was partially funded by the Gallatin County Open Lands Program. Since 2000, the three-times voter-approved Gallatin County Open Lands Program has compensated landowners, including farmers and ranchers, for the development value, making it financially feasible to conserve properties that might otherwise be sold.
“The Gallatin County Open Lands Program is an important resource for landowners choosing to keep the land intact and in production,” explains GVLT Project Manager Kelsie Huyser. “We are grateful to the landowners for protecting agriculture, wildlife habitat, and scenic open space for the public recreating in the adjacent public lands.”
Since Montana’s Open-Space Land and Voluntary Conservation Easement Act was enacted in 1975, three million acres of Montana’s treasured open lands have been permanently protected.
This project represents GVLT’s 141st conservation easement. Since 1990, GVLT has partnered with landowner families to forever protect over 76,000 acres of some of the most highly productive, wildlife-rich, and scenic open space in Southwest Montana.