PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP:
PROTECTS HISTORIC WORKING RANCHLAND, WILDLIFE HABITAT, & RECREATION AREAS IN WESTERN MONTANA

THE CONSERVATION FUND, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has acquired the 5,636 acre McMaster Ranch. Utilizing funds from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the acquisition protects fish and wildlife habitat and significant historic resources along the Missouri River and provides an opportunity to establish a federally managed grass bank. Located 15 miles southeast of Helena, the ranch sits on Spokane Creek on the western shore of Hauser Lake and Canyon Ferry Reservoir.

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO, Lewis and Clark journeyed in this area, noting the spectacular cliffs and the picturesque Helena Valley in their journals.

IDENTIFIED BY THE BLM as the number one acquisition priority in Montana, the ranch will be incorporated into the Chain of Lakes recreation area. This acquisition has protected critical trout spawning habitat and wetlands associated with Spokane Creek. Spokane Bay, an area heavily used by waterfowl and other water dependent birds and wildlife, has also been protected. The rolling hills, grasslands, and forest provide critical habitat for elk, bighorn sheep, and antelope.

A THIRD GENERATION RANCHER, James McMaster, and his family owned and operated the ranch since his grandfather homesteaded the property in the 1800s. As development pressure near Helena increased, McMaster, who has no heirs, grew worried that in time, his property would be fragmented, sold to the highest bidder, and developed. As a result, McMaster turned to The Conservation Fund and the BLM to design a solution that includes the protection of the ranch's natural and historic resources and preserves the ranching traditions of the landscape.

THIS ACQUISITION permanently protects fish and wildlife habitat and recreation areas and provides an opportunity to establish a federally run grass bank for cattle grazing. Grass banks can help to improve grazing management on federal lands, including lands in the Elkhorn Mountains, by providing area ranchers with an alternative location to graze their cattle.