FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ANACONDA, MT: On May 1, American Land Conservancy (ALC) conveyed 76 acres on Stucky Ridge near Anaconda to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP), permanently protecting vital habitat for bighorn sheep, elk, and other wildlife and creating new public access to Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The Missoula-based Five Valleys Land Trust was instrumental in performing the early groundwork for the project.
This project completes Phase Two of a two-part acquisition of 298 acres considered by FWP to be some of the most valuable and imperiled wildlife habitat in the region. The acquisition was funded by a grant from the Montana Natural Resource Damage Program, which was created to restore or replace injuries to the Clark Fork River Basin from mining activities in and around Butte and Anaconda.
“The habitat and recreation values of Stucky Ridge are exceptional,” said Kerry O’Toole, ALC President. “ALC is proud to have worked with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks to conserve this critical land and to create new outdoor recreation opportunities for Montanans. We are also grateful to the Natural Resource Damage Program, whose support was absolutely essential to this success.”
Stucky Ridge is a series of grassy benches and timbered gulches that provide critical winter range for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep and rutting and calving habitat for elk. Its seasonal riparian areas and thick aspen forests are also used by mountain lion, bear, coyote, fox, bobcat, and nesting songbirds. The parcel lies adjacent to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and lies in close proximity to the Lost Creek, Blue-eyed Nellie, and Garrity Mountain Wildlife Management Areas, making it an important part of the regional ecology. The native grasslands of the Stucky Ridge area are cited as an area of greatest conservation need in Montana’s Comprehensive Fish & Wildlife Conservation Strategy.
The property is especially important to the Lost Creek bighorn sheep herd, which can be found on the site in fall, winter, or spring. The herd experienced a mass die-off in 1991 but now numbers more than 300 sheep, including some trophy rams. The protection of habitat at Stucky Ridge for this herd comes within a year of other bighorn populations in Montana being decimated by disease.
“American Land Conservancy stepped forward at a critical time to save imperiled wildlife habitat in Montana,” said Ray Vinkey, Wildlife Biologist for Montana FWP. “Their efforts literally stopped the bulldozer in its tracks, providing the time needed to raise funds and finalize negotiations. As a result, 298 acres of critical winter range for bighorn sheep, elk, and mule deer has been saved from subdivision, and the public now has a new point of access for recreation on Forest Service lands on Stucky Ridge.”
ALC began work on the project in the summer of 2007 at the request of Five Valleys Land Trust. At that time, the parcel faced immediate risk of development, as preliminary survey, road building and engineering work had been completed for a new residential subdivision on the parcel, including a residential grade access road and several test wells.
“It was immediately apparent that this project needed to be done, but at the time our staff was in the throes of several other efforts,” said Grant Kier, Five Valleys Executive Director. “It means a lot to us to have partners like ALC who can step up when called upon to deliver great conservation in western Montana—this couldn’t have happened without them.”
The 76-acre acquisition complements an earlier acquisition at the site completed by ALC and FWP in July 2008 (Phase One of the project). The majority of funding for Phase One was provided by Montana’s Sheep Auction Fund with significant financial support from the Montana Chapter of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, the Five Valleys Chapter of the Safari Club, and Anaconda Wildlife Expo. Together, the two parcels constitute nearly 300 acres of new public land and create a new public access point to Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. The parcel is accessible via North Cable Road in Anaconda.
The two-part Stucky Ridge acquisition represents the second and third projects ALC has completed in Montana. In 2002 ALC protected and helped restore a 20-acre parcel surrounding Crow Creek Falls in the Helena National Forest.
Click here for more information on the Stucky Ridge Project.
Contact
Kerry O’Toole, President
American Land Conservancy
p) 415-912-3665
c) 415-948-4130
kerry@alcnet.org
American Land Conservancy is a private, non-profit land trust dedicated to protecting America’s natural heritage by conserving land for the benefit of people and wildlife. Since its founding in 1990, ALC has conserved roughly 250,000 acres of open space, working landscapes, parks, and wildlife habitat across the country. For additional information about ALC visit www.alcnet.org.
