Here, multi-generation ranchers like Karl Rappold and Dusty Crary are members of the Conservancy’s Rocky Mountain Front Advisory Committee. The group is involved in weed management, grassbanking, grazing systems that benefit livestock and wildlife, and conservation tools aimed at preserving working ranches.

Here, the Conservancy and about a dozen ranchers have developed a new model for ranching and conservation. It’s a grassbank that allows ranchers to graze their cattle on the Conservancy’s 60,000-acre Matador Ranch in exchange for conservation practices on their home ranches. The program, now in its third year, is an incentive-based approach to protecting native prairie habitat.

Participating ranchers agree to such conservation practices as weed prevention, no plowing of native prairie during the lease period or habitat protection for prairie dogs or sage grouse. The ranchers also develop grazing plans and agree to good stewardship through the Montana Undaunted Stewardship program.

Here ranchers and landowners have led the charge to conserve their rural heritage.

When Plum Creek timber company announced plans to sell 88,000 acres of mid-elevation lands surrounding the valley, the Blackfoot Challenge rallied the local communities to action. The Challenge, led by rancher Jim Stone, developed a plan to purchase and re-sell the lands according to community wishes. The Nature Conservancy agreed to take on the risk of borrowing the funds, and to date, has purchased almost 43,000 acres.

Now the Conservancy and the Challenge are working together to re-sell the lands to both public and private buyers. About half of the lands will be sold to local ranchers – to help them expand their operations and make their ranches more economically viable.

Other lands will be sold to public agencies, particularly those with adjacent lands, as a way to preserve the access the public had under Plum Creek ownership.