Western Montana BLM adds 250 acres from land donation
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(BUTTE, Mont.) – Working with Montana’s Outdoor Legacy Foundation and using funding provided by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conversation Trust, the Bureau of Land Management’s Western Montana District accepted a donation of about 250 acres of land near Toston Dam in Broadwater County.
was recently donated to the Bureau of Land Management
by Montana's Outdoor Legacy Foundation (BLM Photo)
The acquired parcels provide critical winter range for elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer and pronghorn. They provide important connectivity for migrating elk between the Elkhorn Range to the west and the Big Belt range to the east. The action furthers Secretary's Order 3362, which calls for Department of the Interior bureaus to work with states and private landowners to enhance and improve the quality of big-game winter range and migration corridor habitat. In addition, the lands encompass habitat for migratory bird nesting and foraging, bat roosting and foraging, raptor nesting and foraging, and large carnivore habitat and connectivity corridors.
Western Montana BLM District Manager Katie Stevens and Butte Field Manager Scott Haight, along with representatives from the Outdoor Legacy Foundation, signed paperwork April 15 in Helena, officially adding the land into public ownership.
“We are grateful to the Outdoor Legacy Foundation and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust for working with us on this project,” said
Haight. “This is a valuable addition to our public lands in southwest Montana, enhancing wildlife habitat and providing increased access for greater public recreation.”
“This will provide much needed public recreational access to BLM properties and the Missouri River which is exactly what funding from the Trust was intended to do,” said Mitch King, Executive Director of the Outdoor Legacy Foundation.
Acquiring these lands connects two nearby parcels of BLM-managed public lands and reduces ownership fragmentation by making a single block of public land of just over 1,246 acres. The donated lands will be managed for multiple use including wildlife habitat and recreation uses such as hunting, fishing, and hiking.
An Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact, and Decision Record were completed and signed earlier on March 12 after a public comment period regarding the proposed transaction.
For more information, contact the Butte Field Office at (406) 533-7600.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.