Conservation groups announced the purchase of over 3,500 acres of land in the Big Hole Watershed. The land will be used for habitat preservation and public recreation.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation announced this week that the group, along with The Land and Water Conservation Fund, Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation Trust, and The Conservation Alliance, purchased a roughly 3,600 acre plot of land in the Big Hole Watershed.
The property, which is about 55 miles south of Butte in Beaverhead and Deer Lodge counties, was purchased from private landowners for close to $9 million. Two miles of the Beaverhead river and two miles of Seymour Creek cross the land, which provides habitat for fish, elk, and many other species.
The Bureau of Land Management will manage the parcel, which is now open to public access for a range of recreational activities including hunting, fishing, and camping.