Historic Land Protection Agreement
The Avalanche Cultural and Conservation Easement protects 5,300 acres of open lands in the historical ǎamskǎaṗii ṗiik̇ǔnii (Southern Blackfeet) territory. The ǎamskǎaṗii ṗiik̇ǔnii have practiced sustainable management of these lands as part of a diverse and dynamic ecosystem since time immemorial. The nitsítapiksi (Real people) managed the ksááhko (land) and ksááhkoom (Earth personified) for centuries as a life-sustaining ecosystem – a place where even the stones spoke to them. From ksááhkoom, they gained valuable knowledge to pass down.
The Avalanche Corporation, representing six members of the Fred and Ramona Des Rosier Family, entered into a landmark conservation agreement with Prickly Pear Land Trust. This is the first conservation agreement off reservation lands in Montana to explicitly protect and perpetuate traditional practices, cultural sites, and Indigenous ceremony, formally recognizing them as aligned with preserving the land’s conservation values. The family hopes this agreement can serve as a model for other landowners seeking to honor cultural uses, perpetuate Indigenous relationship to the land, and maintain stewardship activities on their properties.
Wildlife Corridor on the Crest of the Big Belts
The Avalanche property sits high above Helena, White Sulphur Springs, and the Missouri River on the crest of the Big Belt Mountains. The mosaic of mountain meadows, sagebrush steppe, and mixed forest provides vital habitat for a resident elk herd, pronghorn antelope, bears, and bats. The headwaters for Trout Creek, Rock Creek, and Antelope Creek – tributaries of the Smith and Missouri rivers – provide climate refuge for westslope cutthroat trout. It’s also a migration corridor between the Rocky Mountain Front and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for grizzly bears and golden eagles.
This project was made possible by funding from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, The Cinnabar Foundation, Heart of the Rockies Initiative, The Kendeda Fund, Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, Prickly Pear Land Trust, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, and other foundations.
