PPLT is seeking $1.95 million to maintain a ranch along the Missouri River | Local

Owned by the Juedeman family, Canyon Cattle Ranch is located along the west bank of the Missouri River from Craig to the Dearborn River. A land trust press release says 150,000 anglers float this five-mile stretch of what is Montana’s second most popular fishery, and the ranch is home to bighorn sheep, elk, deer, bears and turkeys.

Under the proposed easement, the Juedeman family would retain ownership of the working ranch, but development would be limited to a designated area away from the river where homes already exist. While the easement would not open the ranch itself to public use, PPLT Lands project manager Travis Vincent said it would improve existing public access available on the Missouri River.

“There will be no new development that you will ever see and none that will affect wildlife,” he said.

The Juedeman family has agreed to donate approximately $1.8 million of the approximately $3.7 million worth of the proposed easement.

“When our parents became the first stewards of the land we call Canyon Cattle Ranch, homes were few and working ranches were the norm. Since then, there has been tremendous development near Craig, and our ranch is one of the last remnants of the largely wild places of our youth,” the family said in a statement. “Our family is united to make so that this landscape rich in wildlife and vistas remains untouched by development and remains the paradise we first set eyes on 50 years ago.

If approved by the Lewis and Clark County Commission, the remainder of the project would be funded with $1.95 million of the $10 million in open space bonds approved by voters in 2008.

The bond is intended to be used to “protect drinking water sources and groundwater quality; protect water quality in and along rivers and streams; conservation of working farmlands, ranches and forests; protect wildlife areas; preserve open lands and natural spaces; provide recreation; and managing growth and development.

Lewis and Clark County has $413,500 in cash and $3 million in bond authorization of the authorized $10 million, according to spokeswoman Betsy Kirkeby. The county commission is expected to open a 30-day public comment period on the funding request following a hearing in late April.

PPLT is asking project supporters to sign a letter of support online at pricklypearlt.org/projectsor submit comments directly to the Lewis and Clark County Planner’s Office during the official public comment period.

“We really hope to get as much public comment as possible,” Vincent said.

Prickly Pear Land Trust seeks to preserve and protect the rural character of land in Lewis and Clark, Jefferson, Broadwater and Powell counties.