Diamond B Ranch Flathead River Project

Landowners Jerry and Aileen Brosten with Marilyn Wood, Flathead Land Trust

In 2011, Diamond B. Ranch owners closed on a conservation easement in December that will protect their beautiful 192-acre property along 1½ miles of the Flathead River.

Located east of Church Slough, the Diamond B. Ranch provides a beautiful spot along the river for wedding celebrations. River to Lake Initiative partners appreciate the long-term commitment the Brosten family has made to the Flathead Valley – a gift of conservation that protects valuable farm land and builds on a network of conservation stewardship along the river. Diamond B. Ranch includes seasonal wetlands and sensitive riparian areas, providing natural habitat for native plants, fish, and wildlife, including native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.

The conservation easement was completed with the assistance of the Flathead Land Trust, which holds the easement, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, which helped secure funding and is helping the landowners improve the river corridor for native fish. Funding for the project included grants from the Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and the Bonneville Power Administration.

News story: Preserving the Lower Valley. Flathead River homestead placed in land trust.