The Canyon Cattle Conservation Easement will forever protect a treasured 4.5-mile long stretch of the Missouri River along Interstate 15 from Craig to the Dearborn River confluence. By Montana State Law, the Missouri River is a public access corridor below a high watermark. This means, by protecting the ground above high water, for five miles, you can walk, fish, hunt, or swim along the Missouri River without the burden of buildings at your back.
This will be the second-largest easement funded through the Open Space Program. It will secure the backdrop of three popular public access sites at Spite Hill, Stickney Creek, and the Dearborn on the eastern shore of the Missouri River. This stretch supports the local economy by annually generating nearly $65 million dollars. Every year, roughly 150,000 anglers visit this river by boat, foot or both. Making it the second most popular fishery in the state of Montana.
The Canyon Cattle Co. Conservation easement will:
Help us get across the finish line—
If you are a Lewis and Clark County resident and would like the County Commissioners to approve funding for
The Canyon Cattle Co. Conservation Easement, please sign our letter of support.
The Juedeman family, four siblings, and their mother, the owners of the Canyon Cattle Company, have begun the process of protecting the newest and one of the largest conservation easements in west-central Montana. No doubt, this property is also one of the most visible. Tucked between the river and Interstate 15, the nearly 4,000-acre cattle ranch can be viewed not only by fishermen but from the 2.3 million vehicles that drive by the property annually, either via I-15 or Recreation Road, across the river.
Entering a ranch into a conservation easement can be an arduous process. This project began with a generous financial contribution of half of the land’s assessed value by the Juedeman family. Their significant contribution will be supplemented by public money. To make ends meet, PPLT is turning to the Lewis and Clark County Open Space Bond fund, a voter-supported initiative to support projects like this.