The 35,670-acre Marton Ranch encompasses vast wildlife habitat and a premier fly-fishing locale within the North Platte region outside Casper, Wyoming. Its protection secures an amazing resource for the community, including trout fishing access and more.

It is extremely rare to find ecologically valuable, intact and undeveloped land of this size in the U.S. The Marton Ranch occupies a keystone portion of the North Platte region, which supports rare wildlife habitat and is a beloved recreational destination.

For over 40 years the Marton family has conducted their agricultural operations in a way that has maintained and stewarded the conservation value of the land, and those values will continue. In 2022, the family worked with The Conservation Fund and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to see its ranch and legacy permanently protected as part of the North Platte River Special Recreation Management Area.

Why It Matters

Protecting Marton Ranch has enabled the BLM to secure over 70,000 acres of contiguous public land, equivalent to more than 118 square miles, that will be protected and open for public access in perpetuity. The property includes roughly 11 miles of the North Platte River, rated as a blue-ribbon fishery by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and the entirety of the famed Grey Reef section of the river, which is considered a top rainbow trout fly-fishing destination. In fact, American Angler magazine has named it the No. 1 spot in the Lower 48 states to catch trophy rainbow and brown trout. Prior to the BLM’s ownership, fishing access had been limited.

The property’s unique riparian habitat makes it a haven for numerous wildlife species — including antelopes, elk,  white-tailed and mule deer, various duck species, turkeys and sandhill cranes — and provides wintering habitat for bald eagles and potential nesting habitat for golden eagles. It is also considered core habitat for imperiled sage grouse.

Just 30 minutes outside of Casper, this land is a popular destination for local outdoor enthusiasts and visitors. The recreational opportunities it provides, especially fishing and rafting along the Grey Reef, will be an important economic stimulus for the area. Tourism is the No. 2 driver of Wyoming’s economy, and outdoor recreation generates roughly $5.6 billion in consumer spending annually for the state, according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

Our Role

Protecting Marton Ranch was an unprecedented and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For more than three decades, conservation of the Marton Ranch has been a top priority, and The Conservation Fund worked closely with members of the Marton family to help them find a conservation solution for their land. In 2022, we purchased the ranch and then transferred it to the BLM for permanent protection and management so it could benefit the community for generations to come.

Funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) made the conservation of the Marton Ranch possible. LWCF is a federal funding source that uses offshore drilling revenue — not taxpayer dollars — to support conservation victories across the U.S. In 2020, the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act allocated full and permanent funding — about $900 million — to the LWCF program, expanding our opportunities for greater conservation in Wyoming and nationwide.