Today The Nature Conservancy and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced a transfer of hundreds of acres of former industrial timber land near Lincoln into public management.
The Nevada Lake Wildlife Management Area southeast of Helmville doubled in size with the land transfer.
Chris Bryant of the Nature Conservancy says the transfer of 760 acres into public management will increase public access and protect critical habitat.
"So it's important for human uses ... hunting, and it’s also got some really strong fisheries values, it really connects some winter range to summer range for deer and elk. And that whole part of the valley is occupied by grizzly bears, and you can even see wolverine moving through there."
The former Plum Creek timber land was bought by the Nature Conservancy in 2003. The Conservancy held the land until Fish, Wildlife and Parks came up with the funds to buy it.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks bought the land with dollars from the federal Forest Legacy program.
The 760 acres cost the agency about $560,000.