Conservation leases give landowners more options

HELENA – When the Habitat Conservation Lease Program started two years ago, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks set a goal of conserving 500,000 acres within five years. With the recent completion of 13 leases and the potential for 33 proposed leases now under consideration, FWP is nearly halfway to reaching that goal.  

“We are really pleased with how it’s going,” said FWP Wildlife Division Administrator Ken McDonald. “Since it’s a new program, it was a little slow to start. But after two rounds of the proposal process, there seems to be a growing interest among landowners.”  

A habitat conservation lease is a voluntary agreement between a landowner and FWP. In exchange for following specific land management practices, a landowner receives a one-time payment based on the number of acres enrolled in the program. The landowner must also allow a certain number of wildlife-related recreation days, including hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing. The access part of the agreement is developed in concert with the landowner and based on the size of the property.  

A habitat conservation lease differs from a conservation easement in that the lease agreement is a 30- to 40-year contract opposed to the permanent commitment of an easement.   

“It provides an option for landowners who are reluctant to commit to a permanent easement, which often are easier to get support for with landowners and result in more habitat conservation and public access,” said FWP Director Christy Clark.”   

The current conservation focus of the program is on prairie habitats such as sagebrush grasslands, mixed-grass prairie and intact wetland habitats. FWP considers these areas as having significant wildlife and conservation value, McDonald said.  FWP issues calls for habitat conservation lease proposals twice a year – in the spring and in the fall. A proposal must meet several criteria, including the amount of intact habitat. Local FWP staff work with landowners on the specifics of proposals, including habitat requirements, conservation objectives, and access agreements.   

If the proposal passes the initial criteria, FWP will put it out for public comment. The final approval for a conservation lease will be made by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, or the Montana Land Board, if applicable.  The entire process takes between six and nine months. 

“Our focus is on giving landowners more tools to conserve habitat,” Clark said. “With so much important wildlife habitat in Montana located on private land, conservation takes a joint effort between FWP and private landowners. Conservation leases are a great tool we can focus on to meet this common goal.”  

For more information on FWP’s Conservation Lease Program, go to fwp.mt.gov/conservation/habitat/habitat-conservation/lease-program.