Propelled to fame by Norman MacLean’s “A River Runs Through It,” few Montana landscapes are as beloved as the Blackfoot River watershed. Those who are fortunate enough to live here come to know the forested valleys, hidden streams and elusive fishing holes where native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout rise to dine.
2016 marks the 40th anniversary of The Nature Conservancy’s first conservation easement in the Blackfoot. In 1976, shortly after the passage of Montana’s conservation easement legislation, landowner Edna Brunner donated an easement on 1,800 acres on the banks of the Blackfoot River. This first easement was a starting point both for the Conservancy and for conservation in the valley. This year, we celebrate forty years of collaboration to protect what makes the Blackfoot—and the rest of the Crown of the Continent—such a special place. Above all, we celebrate the community that has made it possible.
As we have seen in many parts of the world—even here in western Montana—love for a place can spell its demise. Poorly planned development can fracture valleys, fragment wildlife habitat, clutter views and increase fire danger.
For the most part, this hasn’t happened in the Blackfoot. Today, much of the Blackfoot watershed remains an example of what is possible when a community comes together to affirm what it values most.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes the Blackfoot different from other parts of the world but it comes down to a combination of people, place and a shared vision. Here, residents and businesses have for decades worked hard to strike a balance between growth and protection of natural resources.
That first easement grew out of conservation planning. Looking at the Blackfoot watershed as a whole, Conservancy and community leaders saw the need to protect the river corridor, which hosted nesting bald eagles and many other wildlife. At the time, eagles were on the brink of extinction due to DDT use and habitat loss. The community was concerned about the limitations that could have accompanied any top-down, federal protections of the river and easements offered a way to protect habitat and public access as well as private property.
Conservation easements remain one of the most powerful, effective tools available for conserving private lands. Their use has successfully protected millions of acres of wildlife habitat and open space and hundreds of miles of rivers, all while keeping property in private hands. Easements can allow landowners to leave a legacy for future generations, ensuring that the landscape will remain intact. They can even, as we have seen time and time again, allow younger generations to return to the land to continue ranching operations.
To date, The Nature Conservancy and many other organizations have protected more than 160,000 acres of private land in the Blackfoot watershed with conservation easements. For the Conservancy, working in the Blackfoot has provided an education in how to work with communities to protect working lands, wildlife habitat and water. It has also yielded lasting friendships and partnerships with organizations like the Blackfoot Challenge. Working in conjunction with community members and the Challenge, we have purchased more than 500,000 acres of former corporate timber land, much of which was at risk of development as timber companies transitioned to real estate trusts.
None of that conservation would have been possible without an engaged community. Bee Hall, retired assistant state director of The Nature Conservancy in Montana, recalled the first public meeting that was held to develop the Blackfoot Community Project, the Conservancy’s second major acquisition from Plum Creek Timber Company in the area.
“We packed the Ovando school gym,” said Hall. “It blew me away to see so many people come out to talk about the future of the community. And when we finished our presentation, they gave us a standing ovation. That’s when we knew we were on the right track.”
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