Montana family protects all 884 ranch acres from subdivision after nearly a century
After nearly a century, the Anderson family in Montana's Paradise Valley has placed all 884 acres of their ranch under a permanent conservation easement. This action ensures the property remains intact for agriculture and wildlife, protecting it from future subdivision and development.
Why it matters
This story highlights a successful private land conservation effort, demonstrating how families can preserve agricultural heritage, natural habitats, and scenic landscapes against increasing development pressures, contributing to broader environmental and food security goals.
Some landscapes change almost imperceptibly. Fences are repaired, seasons come and go, generations take over, but the land itself remains much as it was. In Montana's Paradise Valley, one family has made sure that continuity will extend well into the future. Nearly a century after Bob Anderson's grandfather acquired a ranch southwest of Livingston, the Anderson family has placed all 884 acres under a permanent conservation easement, ensuring the property remains intact and available for agriculture, states a report by USDA's Natural Resources Conversation Service website.Located in the Trail Creek area, the historic ranch combines productive farmland, native rangeland and an important stretch of waterways. As per the USDA report, about 1.5 miles of Trail Creek runs through the property, attracting a diverse mix of wildlife, including elk, pronghorn, bears, sandhill cranes and numerous bird species.
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