The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Montana Association of Land Trusts (MALT), and the Heart of the Rockies Initiative (HOTR) have partnered to produce a 20-page report analyzing the economic impact of conservation easements in Montana. The report concludes that since it was created in the 2014 Farm Bill, the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program has produced a $182 million economic benefit to Montana agricultural producers, rural main streets, rural economies, and the state’s overall economy.

Page 8 of the report focuses on Montana’s Northern Great Plains. The full report is available on the MALT website home page.