The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest added nearly 400 acres in the Tobacco Root Mountains. The new ‘Point of Rocks’ acquisition contains a picturesque mixture of rangeland, dominated by native grasses and mountains. The 400 acres on the northwest end of the Tobacco Root Mountains adjoins national forest land to the east and BLM land to the south.
Butte District Ranger Tim Lahey describes the addition as a ‘win’ for Montanans and the American public.
“It actually touches the Point of Rocks county road. For us it’s a really important property to get access for people into that portion of the mountain range where they haven’t had a lot of access in the past. It is a beautiful piece of property.”
The deal, two years in the making and which closed last Friday, was made possible by former landowner Paul Hunt, a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The Foundation partnered with the Forest Service to help facilitate the acquisition.
The $1.2 million deal was made possible with funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which uses royalties from offshore oil and gas development to fund outdoor projects.
In addition to providing more hunting, hiking and backpacking opportunities, the newly acquired land provides year-round habitat conservation for pronghorn and winter range for elk, mule deer and moose.
