Access Restored: Nearly 50,000 Montana Acres Reopened to Public

Montana’s public lands are of high importance to those who live and recreate here. Seeing private road signs or no trespassing signs can anger a lot of people who call this place home.   

There is a big court case in Wyoming that could have some major impacts on how our land is managed in Montana, and it looks like it is headed to the Supreme Court.  

There has been some news on public lands use front recently. Recently, American Prairie announced that the acquisition of the Anchor Ranch and two additional properties in the Upper Missouri Breaks area in Blaine County.  

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This purchase is the second-largest purchase in American Prairie’s history, with 67,960 acres of land. This will also increase the total amount of land that they manage to over 600,000 acres.  

Public Access Restored on Bullwhacker Road

The importance of this latest acquisition is the 3.8-mile stretch of Bullwhacker Road they will now have access to and will be opening to the public. That means that the public will have access to almost 50,000 acres of public land that has been closed to public access for years due to a legal dispute.  

Wildlife Habitat and Hunting Opportunities

American Prairie will be sharing a more detailed look at the future plans of the land. According to their news release, the Anchor Ranch has grazing leases for ranch families that they will keep in place. This area is important for elk, deer, and pronghorn habitats.  

American Prairie participates in Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks’ Block Management program for hunters with more than 80,000 acres enrolled.