Conservation Programs at Flyway Ranch

Flyway Ranch is an integral part of the conservation corridor, which stretches approximately ten miles along the Missouri River from Holter Dam to Craig. Several private ranches along the Upper Missouri have entered into conservation easements with the Montana Land Reliance, a local land trust. The easements will preserve, in perpetuity, the resources, scenic beauty, and ranching character of this stretch of the Upper Missouri.

The conservation projects on the Ranch are gradually transforming some of the agricultural lands into prime wildlife and fisheries habitat. In cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Ranch created a large, shallow water pond that is heavily used by migratory birds and other species of wildlife indigenous to Montana.

In 1996, Flyway Ranch performed the flagship riverbank restoration project on the Upper Missouri, in conjunction with the Montana Land Reliance, the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Agency, and Trout Unlimited. They pulled back the riverbank, planted willows, and installed rock jetties in the water to keep the river current from eroding the bank in the future.

Currently, Flyway Ranch is cooperating with the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Agency in an intensive study on whirling disease. The testing station, where the Agency immerses fingerling trout in the river to analyze their susceptibility to whirling disease, lies just off the bank of the Ranch.

Flyway Ranch is nestled around several unique conservation areas. The Beartooth Game Range, home of many elk and deer herds, is just ten miles away. The Devils Kitchen Management area encompasses a handfull of large private landowners in the area and was established to commonly manage the wildlife. Gates of the Mountain Wilderness Area, coined by Lewis and Clark, is just 20 miles from Flyway Ranch and has many hiking trails to choose from. Just 40 miles from Flyway is the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area (the largest in the lower 48) which offers endless opportunities for outdoor recreation.