The Lewis and Clark County Commission pledged $1.4 million toward the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Falls Creek land protection/public access project. The 442-acre property is located along the Rocky Mountain Front near Augusta, Montana.
“In my mind and heart, this is why people voted for this in the first place,” Susan Good Geise, Lewis and Clark County commissioner, told KTVH-TV. “It ticks off every box. It is an absolutely glorious project.”
Once completed, not only will the 442 acres be open to public access, but it will open the door to more than 26,000 acres of public land that lies beyond.
“We’re extremely grateful to Lewis and Clark County, this contribution just goes such a long way to carrying out our conservation mission,” Mark Holyoak, RMEF director of communication, told the Helena Independent Record. “They’ve more than done their part – it’s a great day for us.”
Holyoak added RMEF will follow through to meet its fundraising commitment with the goal of having the project open to the public in time for opening day of the 2019 big game general hunting season.
“It’s a win for elk and deer and grizzly bears, it’s a win for hunters and hikers and people who enjoy being in the outdoors and watching wildlife,” Holyoak told KTVH-TV. “It’s just a win across the board.”
(Video source: KTVH-TV)