POTOMAC — Driving along Highway 200, it's hard to miss the iconic cabins near Potomac.
Those were left behind by the Anaconda Copper Company.
Now, the cabins are part of a 2,330-acre conservation easement.
"This project has been in process for over 20 years. It took two generations of the family and a lot of partners coming together to make it possible," said Lena Viall, conservation and communications manager for Five Valleys Land Trust.
Potomac is now home to 12 conservation easements.
"As western Montana grows, it's just so important to protect the places that really root us in our culture, in our traditions, in the values which Montanans love this place for," Viall said.
The latest addition, the Case Ranch, comprises the entire east-to-northeast border of the valley and spans Highway 200.
"The grandparents purchased the property back in the 1930s. They assembled the ranch over time," said Derek Goble, conservation project manager for Five Valleys Land Trust.
The land was used by the Anaconda Copper Company for a logging project. Since then, the Case family has taken over, and it has been used for ranching.
The grass isn't just used by cattle. It's a critical connector for migrating wildlife.
"It's kind of in between the Northern Continental Divide ecosystem, which is around Glacier National Park, and Potomac provides habitat corridor connectivity as animals move towards the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem and Yellowstone National Park," Viall said.
The Case family also opens 1,700 acres each year for public access through block management.
"The conservation easement formalizes that public access component and provides thousands of acres of huntable land for the public," Goble said.
The project was made possible by millions of dollars awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as donations from state and local partners, including Missoula County's open land bond.
"Missoula County had one of their biggest supports of nearly a million dollars. We also had Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Heart of the Rockies, and then Montana Land Reliance as well," Goble said.
After years of work, Five Valleys Land Trust says it is thankful the land will remain unchanged.
"At the end of the day, this can only happen because of the generosity and choice of the landowners," Goble said.
"Now that it's protected, it's really anchored this openness of this valley forever," Viall said.
