Park County, with an area of 1,800,472 acres and a population of 16,000, ranges in elevation from a low of approximately 4195 feet where the Yellowstone River leaves the county to 12,799 feet at Granite Peak, the highest point in Montana. Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park lie along the southern border of this county located in southcentral Montana. Incorporated cities are Livingston, the county seat, and Clyde Park. The primary river system in Park County is the Yellowstone River with the Shields River Watershed being the dominant drainage from the northern part of the county.
Park County was officially created by the Montana Territorial Legislature in 1887. The Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Bozeman Trail, fur trapping, conflicts between Native Americans and European settlers, early coal mining and railroad development are all part of area history. Agriculture and tourism/recreation are currently the leading economic drivers in Park County.
More than half the county is public land (47.5% US Forest Service) and much of that is forested. Agriculture in Park County is also limited by its short growing season and reduced growing degree days. Wheat and barley are mostly grown in the Shields Valley, while Paradise Valley is predominantly a beef cattle/hay production model. The NRCS office, located in Livingston, offers voluntary technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in natural resource conservation based on a focused approach using long range planning with local input.
Park County Long Range Plan
NRCS in Montana uses a Focused Conservation strategy to address priority natural resource concerns across the state using Targeted Implementation Plans. It all begins with a long range plan. Each local NRCS field office develops a long range plan with input from landowners, partners, land managers, and others to identify and prioritize natural resource concerns in the county. Based on those plans, NRCS works with stakeholders to determine what conservation practices will be needed to address the resource concerns. Long range plans are updated to reflect the changing needs and objectives of the county’s natural resources.
Park County Long Range Plan 2019 (PDF; 4.5 MB)
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Park County Landowners
Additional Funding Opportunities
In addition to the local projects above, producers may also apply for statewide programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, national Environmental Quality Incentives Program initiatives, and conservation easement programs. Visit or call your local USDA Service Center, for more information on these and other programs, or visit Montana Programs.
Local Working Group Meetings
Every year, county Conservation Districts and the NRCS host local working group meetings where agricultural producers, landowners, conservation partners, and other stakeholders in the community discuss the natural resource needs for the county. Based on this feedback, NRCS updates the county’s long-range plan and develops new Targeted Implementation Plans to address those resource concerns. Notes from the Local Working Group meetings are available upon request.
You may contact us anytime to express concerns or comments about conservation needs in the county, and we encourage you to attend the next local working group meeting. For more information about local working group meetings, contact your local USDA Service Center.
Snowpack and Water Supply Forecast Information for Park County
Contacts
