A 30-acre conservation easement was placed on land in the Swan Valley last week with the intention of securing grizzly bear habitat and forested wetlands.
The sizable wetland will now be protected after the Vital Ground Foundation completed the conservation easement with collaboration from Montana Freshwater Partners. The conserved land is in the Salmon Prairie area near Condon.
The property borders both public land and other protected private lands, giving more acreage to the forested wetland habitat that will now remain undeveloped. According to Vital Ground, the area is essential for connectivity between wildlife because it sits between the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Mission Mountain Tribal Wilderness. The area is specifically important for connectivity between grizzly bears, the group says.