Montana

The Trust for Public Land and the U.S. Forest Service have successfully added 640 acres to the Lolo National Forest. The forest land, previously owned by Stimson Lumber Company, is a short drive east of Missoula near Beavertail Hill State Park. Outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds frequent the area and it is an extremely popular destination for both hunters and fishermen.

The Crown of the Continent is the largest intact eco-system in the lower 48 states. To safeguard this unique habitat from fragmentation, The Trust for Public Land and its partners are working to consolidate “checkerboard” ownership patterns into an uninterrupted network of conserved lands.

In 1987 The Trust for Public Land protected Garnet Ghost Town, Montana's best-preserved ghost town, offering a window into life at the end of the 19th century.

The Trust for Public Land has been working in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 2001 and is focusing efforts on key landscapes within the area around Yellowstone National Park.

Montana's Haskill Basin provides nearly 75 percent of the water supply for the town of Whitefish, located near Glacier National Park. Any development on 3,000 acres of the basin near the Whitefish Mountain Resort and Iron Horse golf community would put the town's water supply and rural character at risk.

Deep in the far northwest corner of Montana near the City of Troy sits 28,000 acres containing some of the state's best fisheries and wildlife habitat, and a highly productive working forest.

In 1986, The Trust for Public Land protected Little Big Horn, which sits at the center of the Crow Nation's 4 million acre reservation.

In 2003, The Trust for Public Land protected a 475-acre parcel on the south slope Mount Sentinel, consolidating publicly owned land and creating a new link to the Pattee Canyon Recreation Area.

The Trust for Public Land's O'Dell Creek Headwaters and Wetlands Restoration Project is a multi-year effort to restore one of the most significant wetlands complexes in Montana.

In Montana, TPL's Parks for People program works with local communities to help them plan trail systems, design community parks, and protect nature close to home, offering opportunities for all residents to explore the great outdoors.

This past summer, in partnership with Montana Conservation Corps and the U.S. Forest Service, we hosted two AmeriCorps interns in Seeley Lake to complete a trails survey to help inform future trail efforts in the area.

A historic landmark transformed into a 60 Acre unique city park for hiking, biking, fishing, and exploring local history.

Located between the Bob Marshall and Mission Mountain Wilderness Areas, the Swan Valley is one of the most ecologically diverse areas within the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem. Until recently, land ownership here formed a checkerboard pattern—one square mile sections alternating in private and public ownership.

Protecting Olliffe Ranch in Madison Valley opened the opportunity for TPL to put Three Dollar Bridge—a near-legendary location for anglers—under permanent protection with direct public access.