Bitter Root Land Trust held a friendly virtual discussion with local supporters on April 14, and the response to BRLT’s news and plans was uniformly positive.

     During the “Conservation Conversations” discussion BRLT executive director Gavin Ricklefs and conservation project manager Melissa Odell offered the audience a sneak peak of upcoming possible projects within the next couple years, and the active project list is impressive.

     BRLT, which currently holds a total of slightly under 9,000 acres of easements to date, has about a dozen ongoing projects in the next two-year window that total 4,800 acres of conservation projects. 

     “The amount of momentum here in the Bitterroot is just incredible,” said Ricklefs.

     Odell and Ricklefs featured four projects in the pipeline, once of which would be the largest BRLT conservation easement to date. 

     While most of the focus is on agricultural conservation, projects also include wildlife habitat conservation and fisheries projects, as well as a couple projects that include recreational access.

     The evening’s public discussion allowed BRLT to demonstrate organizational growth and accomplishment, and show how the land trust is responding to local agricultural and recreational needs.