ANACONDA — There’s now more public land for the outdoor enthusiast to roam near Anaconda.
“These are lands now that will be forever in public hands and open to anyone for hunting, there’s a creek through here for fishing, as well as wildlife watching or taking a picnic,” said Nick Gevock with the Montana Wildlife Federation.
The additional public land is off of Mill Creek Road in the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area.
About 20 volunteers from the sportsmen’s group in Butte and Anaconda helped remove barbed wire and put up signs separating private land from the new public lands.
“It’s been wonderful, I did a call out for volunteers to help me with the various projects to get this property up and running for public use,” said Vanna Boccadori with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
The deal will also provide good habitat for wildlife.
“We’ve already seen signs of moose and elk and bear. It’s elk calving country, it’s a migration corridor between their winter and summer ranges,” said Boccadori.
So right now, they’re putting up the signs for people know where the private property and public land begins, and back there they say this is going to be great public land for future outdoor enthusiasts.
“A hundred years from now no one will know who we were, but some kid will kill her first deer here and that is part of the legacy that we want to leave for future generations,” said Gevock.
The acquisition of the land cost just under $1 million and was paid for through hunting license fees and the Missoula-based Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
