The Jefferson County Commission has given its support to the purchase of 1,418 acres in the southern Elkhorn mountains.
The purchase is being facilitated by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, which will transfer the land to the U.S. Forest Service once the acquisition is complete.
The property, owned by A.H. Kimpton and Sons, was listed at $3.5 million on UBARS.net. It is located 16 miles west of Townsend.
In its letter, the Commission provided the reasons for its support of purchase, to include providing additional access to public lands, preserving the natural resources in the Elkhorns and reducing the potential for sprawling development, which is becoming a challenge for the county to provide services.
Representatives from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust had come to the Commission in September to ask for its support.
Having the support of the county would also help with the project, said Mike Mueller, senior lands program manager with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
The transaction is still in the works, said Mueller.
The land was purchased from the private owner and is currently being held by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, said Mueller.
The U.S. Forest Service has applied for Land and Water Conservation funding, and the plan is for the Trust to sell the property to the Forest Service, said Mueller.
Once the purchase and transfer to the U.S. Forest Service is complete, the property will become available for public use, likely next year.
The property is an elk wintering range, and is also home to deer, bear, moose, mountain lion and birds. It includes foothill habitat with timber, large park areas and three creeks, according to the project summary. Specifically, it’s located in sections 21 and 27 of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks block management program.
