Elk NetworkRMEF, Partners Restore Vital Habitat Montana Program

Conservation | June 11, 2017

It takes a good team to claim victory. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation partnered with a dozen other sporting groups to resurrect a program that positively affected wildlife habitat in Big Sky Country.

Since its establishment by the Montana Legislature more than three decades ago, Habitat Montana conserved more than 600,000 acres of elk, deer, bear, pronghorn, mountain lion and other wildlife via conservation easements and other tools. However, legislators in the 2015 session effectively put an end to it.

RMEF worked vigorously alongside its sister groups to fully restore the program that funded efforts like the Whitetail Prairie project in 2015.

“It’s important to understand that Habitat Montana funds are absolutely critical to conservation efforts like this one,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “They are crucial for conservation organizations like RMEF to carry out this work and they’re crucial for hunters, anglers, hikers and other recreationists so they can reap the benefits of it.”