MISSOULA, Mont.- The Bureau of Land Management and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) are announcing the first completed land acquisition within the Gold and Twin Creeks area of the Blackfoot River Watershed. The recently purchased parcel, known as the Upper Gold Creek East Parcel, placed 3,264 acres into federal public ownership on Nov. 6, 2024, using funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This sale marks the first phase of the Gold and Twin Creeks land acquisitions, which aim to transfer an additional 17,000 acres into federal public ownership.
"This is an exciting step forward in our years-long partnership with The Nature Conservancy to deliver on the community vision for conservation, restoration and public ownership in the lower Blackfoot," said Erin Carey, Missoula Field Manager. "TNC supported this agreement and our continued efforts to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and values in the management of Montana's public lands."
Since 1998, the BLM has worked to acquire 44,000 acres of former private timberland in the lower Blackfoot River Watershed from TNC. Recently, BLM signed a historic co-stewardship agreement with the Confederated and Salish Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) to formally establish collaborative stewardship of federal public lands within the ceded territory of the Tribes. For seven years, CSKT, BLM and TNC have worked together to restore the landscape through forest thinning, prescribed burning, native plant conservation and improvements to riparian systems.
"TNC and BLM have worked closely for many years to help restore Montana's forests and protect land in the Blackfoot-Clearwater area, and the Gold and Twin Creeks project is just the latest example of our strong partnership," said Chris Bryant, conservation director at The Nature Conservancy. "At TNC, we believe that conserving and managing land at scale is best for migrating wildlife, maintaining healthy habitat and ensuring that all Montanans have access to nature through public lands. We're excited to continue working with BLM and CSKT to restore this incredible landscape."
The Gold and Twin Creeks project is one of three Montana-designated BLM Restoration Landscapes, where funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to restore ecosystems and bolster the economic resilience of communities that depend on these lands to support their livelihoods and traditions. By using Land and Water Conservation funds to bring these lands into federal public ownership, this acquisition will support thriving habitats, clean water, resilient forests and increased public access to public lands.
For more information on the Gold and Twin Creeks project, visit the BLM National NEPA Register.
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