Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) proposes the acquisition of 7,540 acres of important wildlife habitat along the Marias River. The property straddles 14 miles of the Marias River approximately 8 miles southwest of Shelby and 70 miles northwest of Great Falls. The property is currently operated as a private ranch, consisting of 7,540 deeded acres, 492 acres of leased State School Trust (SST) lands managed by Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), and 833 U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acres. Important wildlife habitats that exist on these lands include riparian river bottom, cottonwood gallery forest, sagebrush grassland, and river breaks. The property would be purchased through a combination of funding sources, potentially including FWP’s Habitat Montana program and the Governor’s Access Montana Initiative approved by the 2007 Legislature. FWP, by virtue of the right of first refusal as granted in the Will of Charlie Lincoln upon sale of the Ranch, will use that right to acquire the property through fee-title purchase of the deeded acres. The leases of BLM and DNRC acres within the boundary of the property that are now held by the current landowner will be transferred to FWP.
