Where Montana’s dramatic peaks give way to the northern Great Plains, the Rocky Mountain Front forms a landscape unlike any other in America. The front is home to some of the rarest wildlife habitat in the nation — and where grizzly bears still roam freely from the mountains to the plains, as they have for centuries.

For generations, family ranchers have owned large swaths of the land in this region. But due to challenging economic times, increased demand for recreational property and vacation homes, and increased oil and gas development, many of these ranchers have had to sell their land. To date, The Conservation Fund and our partners have protected over 220,000 acres along the front.

This development not only erodes the ranching tradition that characterizes the region, but it also disrupts wildlife migration routes and cuts off access to breeding grounds, food, and safe wilderness for dozens of species, such as grizzly bears, elk, and long-billed curlews and other nesting birds.

How We’re Saving the Front

With key funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, TCF partnered with The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Montana to launch an unprecedented effort to protect 250,000 acres of wildlife habitat along the Rocky Mountain Front while maintaining the region’s traditional ranching heritage.

In order to achieve these goals, we’re working with ranching families to place conservation easements on their properties. A conservation easement is an agreement a landowner makes to permanently restrict the type and amount of development on his or her land. Instead of selling their land to be developed into subdivisions, ranchers can obtain conservation easements that allow them to continue ranching while protecting their land for wildlife habitat.

To date, the Rocky Mountain Front Initiative has protected over 220,000 acres of critical migratory corridors for grizzly bears and a wide variety of other species that depend on the front’s rich ecosystem.

Why This Project Matters

At TCF, we know that for conservation solutions to last, they need to make economic sense for local communities. By working with ranchers, we’ve found a successful way to help residents and wildlife live together peacefully on the Rocky Mountain Front.