Saving America's River
Those who fish the Missouri River from Craig — 154,582 individuals each year according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks — know well the spectacular land that fronts the river’s west bank for the first five miles. PPLT and the owners of the Canyon Cattle Co. 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. However, PPLT needs the public to raise their voices in support to get the project over the finish line.
We’ve come a long way since the founders of PPLT met for the fist time in a living room at the base of Mount Ascension in 1996. In those 24 years, our supporters and partners have helped us with a wide range of projects. And we are planning even more for the future.
Prickly Pear Creek Greenway
The Greenway will be a corridor located along Prickly Pear Creek from Montana City downstream, through East Helena. PPLT is working with local, State, and Federal agencies to piece together the corridor as well as develop quality access and trails along the creek.
Sevenmile Creek Restoration
Just Northwest of Helena, PPLT owns and manages 358 acres of grasslands and rolling hills along 2.2 miles of Sevenmile Creek. PPLT is working with a host of public and private partners to reestablish the project area as a functioning floodplain, helping this gem reach its full potential for wildlife, water, and education alike.
Tenmile Creek Park
Tenmile Creek Park, owned and managed by PPLT, is a 180 acre property with 3 miles of trail where people’s connection to the land comes first. We are working hard to make the park’s trails and creek accessible and convenient for everyone in our community.
Mount Ascension Backdrop
Over a ten-year period, PPLT, aided by local government, businesses, and individuals secured Mount Ascension and all its trails for public use. Due to this concerted, cooperative effort, Elk can still be seen from Montana’s Capitol building.
Peaks to Creeks Initiative
Through a creative partnership with the U.S. military, PPLT brought conservation from the mountains to where folks live, acquiring and protecting two sizeable pieces of property on Helena’s western edge.
Prickly Pear Creek Fishing Access Site
In 2012, PPLT took a ranch in the Helena Valley, slated to become a 435-unit subdivision, and instead created a refuge for wildlife, a space for agriculture to thrive, and the first fishing access site on Prickly Pear Creek.
In the last 22 years, you have helped us:
- Secure Helena’s backdrop: Helena’s southern skyline provides one of the most beautiful backdrops of any city in the United States
- Protect thousands of acres through strategic private land conservation projects with open space, working farms/ranches, and critical wildlife habitat
- Increase public access to the incredible open spaces, trails, and creeks in the Prickly Pear Valley and adjoining lands in Lewis and Clark, Jefferson, Broadwater and Powell counties
- Protect and Build a destination trail system, ranked Silver Level by the International Mountain Biking Association, with more than 75 miles of singletrack
- Created a community park, which is part of a nationally recognized and awarded community conservation project
