One more Nature Conservancy land deal means more of the Blackfoot River corridor is now in public hands. On Thursday, The Nature Conservancy announced it had sold the northern 4,480 acres of a 13,000-acre property along Belmont and Burnt creeks to the Bureau of Land Management. Now only a few parcels in the deal remain on hold. “This project has been a blueprint for achieving … [Read more...] about BLM purchase almost completes Nature Conservancy Blackfoot land transfer

With a number of projects in the works and a strong conservation legacy on the line, the Five Valleys Land Trust has tapped a trusted member to serve as its new executive director. Whitney Schwab, who served as Five Valleys' director of philanthropy for the past five years, replaces Jenny Zaso as the organization's new chief. Schwab sees a promising future for an … [Read more...] about Five Valleys Land Trust taps Whitney Schwab as new executive director

A few forestry projects are about to take place in Missoula County, prompting commissioners to worry about public reaction. On Monday afternoon, representatives of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation told commissioners about three timber projects that will take place over the next year or so under the federal Good Neighbor Authority. Because the … [Read more...] about Missoula County commissioners fret about public reaction to nearby logging projects

The Clark Fork River remains in flood stage and the mountain snowpack is quickly vanishing in the Bitterroot Mountains, prompting local officials to turn an eye toward the summer fire season. But with a low pressure system moving into the region, rising water remains a concern, Missoula County officials said Tuesday. “We have lost an alarming amount of snowpack just in … [Read more...] about Bitterroot snowpack quickly vanishing; Clark Fork still in minor flood stage

A few bighorn rams grazing near the M on Mount Sentinel created excitement among those who saw them over the weekend. But when the sheep moved down to the University of Montana campus, social media caught up, creating a buzz. For a while at least, the school's new mascot was the Rams, not the Grizzlies. “This time of year, a lot of these younger males start moving around … [Read more...] about University of Montana Rams? No, but sheep make rare appearance on campus