The state Fish and Wildlife Commission in mid-June authorized officials to move forward with leasing lands through the Prairie Habitat Conservation Lease Program.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has acquired 10 leases, securing more than 50,000 acres across eastern Montana from near Malta to south of Miles City. The agency plans to eventually lease half a million acres. The program will create temporary land protections for threatened ecosystems.
Unlike traditional conservation easements, these leases are temporary. Landowners can opt in for 30 or 40-year periods to set aside a parcel of their land for wildlife.
FWP Lands Program Manager Bill Schenk told commissioners a less permanent leasing option is better for landowners looking to pass on land to the next generation.
“This gives them an option to participate in a program that provides meaningful conservation work without that permanent commitment,” Schenk said.
Conservation leases are intended to help imperiled species, like sage grouse and grassland birds, and maintain intact habitat for migratory animals like pronghorn and mule deer. Landowners in the program must also agree to a certain amount of public access, either for hunting or wildlife viewing, but the amount of access varies from parcel to parcel.
Seven of the 10 parcels will have to receive final approval from the Montana Land Board which has oversight on leases more than 500 acres or $1 million.
