Thousands of Acres Added to Lower Blackfoot Public Lands

Coming off the election debate, it may seem public lands in Montana will become a disappearing commodity in the future.

But the Bureau of Land Management is quietly putting together deals that represent a significant increase of public land ownership in the Blackfoot watershed. That's expected to improve not only recreation opportunities but also beef up wildlife habitat and conservation efforts.

The new announcement of more than 3,000 acres of land within the Gold Creek/Twin Creek areas of the Lower Blackfoot is actually just the first major addition to come.

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Years of planning efforts

Since 1998, BLM has been working to acquire former timberlands in the Lower Blackfoot Watershed from The Nature Conservancy. That included the signing of a cooperative agreement with the Confederates Salish and Kootenai Tribes to establish a "collective stewardship" of federal public lands that were ceded territory of the tribes.

For seven years now, BLM, the tribes, and TNC have been working on restoration plans, through forest thinning and prescribed burns, bringing back native plans, and restoring riparian areas.

What lands are added to public ownership on the Blackfoot

Under the purchase announced last week, 3,264 acres have been purchased with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And that's just the first phase. Another 17,000 acres will also be added.

“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 managing Montana’s public lands.”  

“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," Chris Bryant, conservation director at The Nature Conservancy said in a prepared statement. "We’re excited to continue working with BLM and CSKT to restore this incredible landscape.”  

The Gold and Twin Creeks project is one of only three Montana locations identified as "BLM Restoration Landscapes."

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