Pat McKelvey worked in fire mitigation for many years. When he and his wife Judy purchased 100 acres of timbered hills south of Helena, Mont., they saw working to make the forestland healthier and less prone to wildfire as both an opportunity and a retirement project.

NRCS in Montana and conservation partners have joined forces to deliver conservation easements that give peace of mind and a financial boost to ranchers who want to pass on a legacy of big open country that’s vital to a thriving livestock industry in the West and to the future of sage grouse.

The NRCS in Montana has set an Aug. 30, 2019, application cutoff for agricultural operators to be considered for the next conservation program funding cycle through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

The Flikkema family of LF Dairy in Churchill completed a conservation easement on 598 acres of prime agricultural soils, avoiding fragmentation of farmland and the open landscape while ensuring that the land remains available for agriculture, wildlife and scenic open views.

The Weaver family and partners completed a conservation easement on the ranch. The conservation easement protects ranchland, outstanding wildlife habitat for mule deer, elk, pronghorn, sharp-tail grouse, and sage grouse.