A conservation-oriented real estate group has sold two 50-acre islands in the Yellowstone River to the state of Montana, with the aim of preserving the riparian habitat and enhancing public access opportunities.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks acquired 107 acres spanning two wooded islands in the Yellowstone River, just upstream from Reed Point, earlier this month. The deal opens the islands up to the public for recreation, and it protects them from future development.
Leveraging funds from a settlement with Exxon Mobil Corp. over a 2011 oil spill, the state agency closed the $140,150 deal with Beartooth Group — an investment firm that buys, restores, then sells ranch properties across the West.