BITTER ROOT LAND TRUST
PO BOX 1806, HAMILTON, MT 59840 www.bitterrootlandtrust.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: BRLT PARTNERS WITH LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO CONSERVE the WATER, WILDLIFE, AND WORKING FARMS AND RANCHES IN MONTANA'S BITTERROOT VALLEY FOR all GENERATIONS, utilizing conservation easements, fee purchases, and proactive land stewardship.

In 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust continued building a lasting conservation legacy in the Bitterroot Valley by partnering with local families and our community to conserve important farm and ranchland, wildlife and fisheries habitat, scenic open space, and public recreational opportunities. These conservation victories protected over 730 acres from Lone Rock to Darby and preserve a diverse suite of community and natural benefits, including prime agricultural soils, spawning grounds for native trout, winter habitat for elk and mule deer, and public access to the Bitterroot River. Bitter Root Land Trust staff secured and spent over $1,055,000 from public and private sources to purchase conservation easements on these important properties, which payments were made directly to the landowners during closing and do not appear as revenue or expenses of BRLT on this 990. Further, BRLT applied for (and later received notice of grant approval for) $4.9 million from the Natural Resources Conservation Services Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to diversify agricultural conservation, support beginning farmers and ranchers, and increase the pace of farm and ranch conservation efforts in the Bitterroot. Additionally, Bitter Root Land Trust staff expanded our cooperative land stewardship grants program that enhances natural resources on conservation easement lands and neighboring properties. As we do every year, staff monitored all 43 of our conservation easements in 2019. Bitter Root Land Trust again invested in conservation education programs to raise community awareness - among adults and students - of the importance of the Bitterroot Valleys water, wildlife, and working agricultural lands.Program Service Area 1: Conservation Project Work, Fishing and Recreational Access Projects:I.In 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust partnered with The Conservation Fund to purchase 70-acres and over a mile of Bitterroot River frontage adjacent to Hamilton, MT. This land, now known as Skalkaho Bend Park, will be donated to the City of Hamilton to be utilized as natural public open space and recreational access to the Bitterroot River for the community.II.In the fourth quarter of 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust partnered with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in an agreement to purchase ~100 acres of land along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River near Conner, MT. This incredible riverfront purchase will provide permanent public fishing access, camping, and access to the Bitterroot National Forest, while protecting some of the most important riparian and fisheries habitat in the West Fork.Completed Conservation Projects: I.In January 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust completed the Griffin Ranch conservation easement, a 202-acre working lands project located in the Burnt Fork, adjacent to three other existing conservation easements. Funding for the Griffin Ranch conservation easement was provided by the NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program and the Ravalli County Open Lands Bond Program.II. In October of 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust completed the 217-acre Runnin Bear Ranch conservation easement with the Astle family in Stevensville, MT. The Runnin Bear is the ninth conservation easement BRLT has completed in the Burnt Fork drainage, an area of the valley with incredibly productive soils and crucial wildlife connectivity. Funding for the Runnin Bear easement came from the Ravalli County Open Lands Bond Program and the Agricultural Land Easement Program of the Farm Bill.II.In December of 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust worked with multiple generations of the Gates family to conserve the 160-acre Gates Family Farm in Lone Rock, MT. The Gates Family Farm is BRLTs first in the Three-Mile Creek drainage and has catalyzed additional conservation in future years in the area. Importantly, the Gates Family Farm is directly adjacent to the Lone Rock School and provides the agricultural and scenic backdrop for all students and staff attending and working in the district. Funding for this project came from the Ravalli County Open Lands Bond Program and the Agricultural Land Easement Program of the Farm Bill.III.Also in December of 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust worked with a private landowner in the Stevensville area to conserve 155 acres of diverse agricultural land and high-quality wildlife habitat. The Sylvester Sunset Bench easement was subdivided for development prior to the current landowner protecting its open meadows, ponderosa pine forest, and irrigated hay pastures. In addition to completing these critical conservation projects, Bitter Root Land Trust staff continued to work with local and federal partners to further agricultural conservation programs in the Bitterroot Valley that encourage high-value farmland conservation, agricultural diversification, and generational succession. Working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bitter Root Land Trust applied for a coveted Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant (of which only 48 were approved in 39 states throughout the country). Staff met with dozens of interested landowners and those meetings yielded additional conservation projects that will proceed in 2020 and beyond. As a result of this partnership between Bitter Root Land Trust, local landowners, the NRCS, and the Ravalli County Open Lands Bond Program many of these landowners will choose to conserve their family lands. Program Service Area 2: Conservation Easement Monitoring, Stewardship, and Land Management/Enhancement I.Conservation Easement Monitoring and Enforcement: Bitter Root Land Trust staff monitored all 43 of our existing conservation easements and our fee land holdings in 2019, ensuring that terms have not been violated and that conservation objectives remain intact. We further invested time developing and maintaining relationships with existing easement holders to ensure that the conservation objectives agreed to by landowners and the land trust are being upheld. II.Cooperative Weed Management Area Program: Throughout the year, the Stewardship Coordinator administered a cooperative noxious weed abatement grants for dozens of local landowners on over 10,000 acres in several key areas of the Bitterroot Valley. Bitter Root Land Trust increased landowner participation in the program in both the Burnt Fork and Corvallis areas, while expanding service to additional areas of the valley. The Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation partnered to support this program. In late 2018, the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation renewed its grant commitment to this program for through 2020. These value-added land management grants provide ongoing support to Bitter Root Land Trusts conservation easement donors and their neighbors.Program Service Area 3: Conservation Education, During 2019, Bitter Root Land Trust continued our important education efforts through a variety of outreach techniques. During the summer months, Bitter Root Land Trust staff participated in the local Hamilton Farmers Market and provided conservation education at community events, including Teller Wildlife Refuges Youth Conservation Expo, getting autistic youth out in nature, and partnering with a local veterans group to get vets outside in nature. Throughout the year, our Stewardship Coordinator focused on connecting Bitterroot Valley youth with the growing conservation ethic in our community. Additionally, Bitter Root Land Trust staff partnered with the MPG Ranch to conduct an ongoing winter eagle study focused on better understanding how bald and golden eagles utilize Bitterroot Valley private lands during winter months. Remote cameras capture eagle activity on multiple Bitter Root Land Trust easements throughout the valley, while biologists analyze the birds and behaviors captured by the cameras. Bitter Root Land Trusts annual Barn Dance drew over 300 people to the Trexler Ranch in Corvallis and showcased local agriculture, conservation, and community connections.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202002669349300235_public.xml