Prickly Pear Land Trust said Monday it has purchased Birdseye Ranch, a 1,472-acre property in the Helena Valley.
The purchase was completed with funding from the Army Compatible Use Buffer program, the Lewis and Clark County Open Space Bond program, and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust.
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The 1,457-acre Birdseye Ranch acquisition by Prickly Pear Land Trust would protect the large tract of undeveloped land adjacent to Fort Harrison.
It was reported earlier that the land trust had entered into a fee-title purchase agreement with property owner RV Ranch Co. to buy the land for the appraised value of $2.9 million. The final sale price was not confirmed Monday.
The property has a large calving barn, several small cow sheds and one historical stone-faced “keep” built into a hill.
Prickly Pear said Birdseye Ranch is a critical open space adjoining thousands of acres of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and the state of Montana, as well as protected lands owned by the land trust, like Tenmile Creek Park.
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The project would protect the "buffer zone" between Fort Harrison and the general public.
The ranch's preservation ensures the continuity of open spaces essential for wildlife habitat and military training, land trust officials said.
“Open spaces around Fort Harrison protect us for today’s fight, as well as training the next generation of soldiers,” Col. Kelly Traynham of the Montana Army National Guard said in a news release.
The acquisition averts the potential development of the ranch into residential properties, which would have been disruptive to Fort Harrison’s training activities.
“We make a lot of noise, we create a lot of dust, and we're training 24/7,” Traynham said. “If someone lived here, they’d hear machine guns firing all night long, and at some point, they’re going to call and ask why we’re flying over their house.”
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The historical stone-faced “keep” built into a hill on the Birdseye Ranch. “The keep” was a holding area for locals who were buried on the site; bodies could be held there through the winter until ground thawed.
Mary Hollow, executive director of PPLT, said in the news release the "need to protect open space for agriculture and wildlife has never been greater,” Hollow said.
PPLT will manage Birdseye Ranch for grazing, seasonal public access and wildlife conservation. The ranch’s native grasslands are home to diverse wildlife, including birds, pronghorn, deer, elk, moose and black bears. PPLT officials said earlier they will continue to pay the property taxes on the land.
Land trust officials said the ACUB program was "integral" to this purchase. The purchase protects open spaces around military installations and preserves the ability to train and prepare soldiers effectively. PPLT has worked with the Army to protect nearly 6,000 acres in Lewis and Clark and Broadwater counties.