Reader TTS

Lewis and Clark County commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved opening a 30-day comment period on a request by Prickly Pear Land Trust to use $1 million from the county’s open space

bond to buy 1,457 acres from RV Ranch Co. in the Birdseye area. The land will be available for public use. The property in the Birdseye Ranch Open Lands application submitted by Prickly Pear

Land Trust (PPLT) is adjacent to Fort Harrison to the south and about 2,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to the west, according to an April 11 report from the Lewis and Clark

County Community Development and Planning Department to the commissioners. PPLT has entered into a fee-title purchase agreement with property owner RV Ranch Co. to buy the land for the

appraised value of $2.9 million, county officials said. They said PPLT will use three funding sources to buy the property, the Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Department of

Defense Army Compatible Use Buffer Program and the Lewis and Clark County Open Space Bond. The $1 million from the county bond represents 33.8% of the total cost. PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING…

The report states it is one of the last remaining large tracts in the Helena Valley, with private land nearby having been developed for homes. County officials said the property is used for

seasonal grazing of cattle, which PPLT plans to continue. There is one large calving barn on the property, several small cow sheds and one historical stone-faced “keep” built into a hill.

“The keep” was a holding area for locals who were buried on the site; bodies could be held there until ground thawed. Fish and wildlife habitat on the property will be protected by PPLT.

“The property does bolster prime habitat for a wildlife-rich area and can provide a critical future link for wildlife between the Continental Divide and the Helena Valley,” the application

reads. PPLT will lease land for rotational grazing, open a public-access trail for seasonal hiking and allow seasonal hunting access through the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Block Management

Program, officials said. There are two track roads through the property that originate from Birdseye and Barrett roads. Phil Gonzalez, a county planner, said PPLT will pay all property taxes

 when due. On April 9, the county’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Open Lands, which earlier toured the property, found the proposal met criteria in the Open Lands Program Guide and voted

7-0 to recommend the commission OK the project. Mary Hollow, PPLT's executive director, said Lewis and Clark was one of four Montana counties to have an open space bond. She said

without the bond, they would not be able to get it completed. The proposal received support on several fronts. Sarah Christopherson, the committee's chair, told the commissioners the

project was “exciting because it is a mixed-use proposal.” “It not only looks good on paper, but it’s a beautiful area,” she said, adding she was excited about the prospect of recreating

there herself someday. Travis Vincent, PPLT's lands director, said the proposal really “hits all the boxes” in terms of qualifying for funds. “We only bring forward projects we

specifically know the county has asked us to go out and protect,” he said, adding that if the board eventually approves the project “we will close in June.” Col. Kelly Traynham, construction

and facilities management officer for the Montana National Guard, also supports the proposal. Angie Enger, a real estate broker who said her father manages the RV Ranch, said she has a

unique relationship with project as she represents RV Ranch. “I guess I am here to represent the land,” she said. “We could not be more pleased about this proposal on so many fronts,” Enger

said. “I am thrilled for the community of Helena and I thank you for your support.” No one spoke against the proposal Thursday. People can comment on the proposal by emailing:

[email protected]. Assistant editor Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021. 0 Comments BE THE FIRST TO KNOW Get local news delivered to your inbox!