Five Valleys Land Trust, the NRCS, the Missoula County Commission and county Open Space Program have successfully worked with the Hayes family to conserve 569 acres of historical ranch ground near Potomac. Lee Newspapers featured the county’s funding approval for the project and the historical and agricultural value of the property in its Feb. 18 editions. “The working landscape with 94 percent important agricultural soils includes grassland, forest and wetland habitats that connect with other private, protected lands,“ said Vickie Edwards, Five Valleys conservation projects manager. “This easement exemplifies that voluntary, private land conservation and conservation easements are effective tools in conserving important agricultural soils in Missoula County.”
