Another 2,360 acres has been added to land acquired in Montana’s Tenderfoot Creek drainage for wildlife habitat under a partnership involving the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, US Forest Service, Tenderfoot Trust and the Bair Ranch Foundation.
According to the RMEF, this brings to a total of 5,760 acres of land acquired within the Lewis and Clark National Forest (LCNF).
“This is a true conservation success story,” said Blake Henning, RMEF vice president of Lands and Conservation.
“We applaud our partners for diligently working together to conserve this vital habitat. Not only does this cooperative work greatly benefit elk, other wildlife and trout, but it opens the door for the public to hunt, fish, hike, camp and otherwise enjoy a diverse and beautiful part of Montana’s backcountry.”
RMEF said that the Bair Ranch Foundation originally offered 8,220 acres of private land or sale along the tributary of the Smith River system. The plan was that it become publicly owned in order to both conserve the area’s natural resources and to guarantee permanent public access to thousands of acres of intermingled national forest land.
“This phase of the Tenderfoot project was made possible due to the persistence and vision of the Bair Ranch Foundation and a total team effort,” said Henning. “The funding came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund through support from Senators Max Baucus, Jon Tester and our partners.”
In a press release, RMEF said the Tenderfoot lands span 3,200 feet in elevation from sub-alpine mountains to grass meadows and riparian areas. The property provides high quality water and fisheries habitat including west slope cutthroat trout, habitat for elk, moose, deer and a multitude of other species, scenic views, and opportunities for many forms of recreation, including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, managed ATV use, snowmobiling and other uses.
“Future generations will camp, fish, hunt and recreate in this area because of the goodwill and foresight of the Bair Ranch Foundation and the hard work of the other partners who worked in concert to make this acquisition a reality,” said District Ranger Carol Hatfield of the White Sulphur Ranger District on the LCNF.
An additional 2,460 acres of Bair Ranch Foundation lands remain to be acquired to fully complete the Tenderfoot project.
