WASHINGTON – The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America, has honored Montana’s Bitter Root Land Trust with our 2023 National Land Trust Excellence Award.

Announced during Rally 2023: The National Land Conservation Conference, the nation’s largest gathering of land conservation leaders, the National Land Trust Excellence Award recognized Bitter Root Land Trust for its work in multiple areas, including its partnership with the Ravalli County Board of Commissioners and Right to Farm and Ranch Board on renewal of the county’s Open Lands Bond Program. The program will provide $10 million to help local landowners voluntarily preserve prime agricultural lands and important waterways and protect critical wildlife habitat.

“For more than a quarter-century, the staff and board members of the Bitter Root Land Trust have cultivated trust and support around a shared commitment to preserving the majestic lands and landscapes of the Bitter Root Valley,” said Andrew Bowman, the Alliance’s president and CEO. “Transcending ideological and political divides, they have fostered partnerships that have conserved more than 13,000 acres of working farms and ranches, wildlife habitat, waterways and parkland.”

You can view our brief award video honoring Bitter Root Land Trust here.

In 2022 alone, the Bitter Root Land Trust worked with local landowners to conserve 2,270 acres of family farms and ranches, critical wildlife habitat, river and stream frontage, and public hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities — a 30% increase in BRLT’s total conserved lands in one year alone.

“We are so grateful to be chosen as the 2023 National Land Trust Excellence Award recipient,” said Gavin Ricklefs, Bitter Root Land Trust’s executive director. “Conservation brings us together around shared values here in the Bitterroot Valley and provides an opportunity to collectively do something today that improves our valley for future generations. Many thanks to the Alliance for recognizing the incredible, community-driven conservation success in the Bitterroot Valley. We look forward to sharing this award with the many landowners, community members and partners that make these lasting legacies possible in western Montana.”

Bitter Root Land Trust is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents approximately 950 member land trusts supported by more than 250,000 volunteers and 6.3 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at www.landtrustalliance.org.

The Bitter Root Land Trust (BRLT) is a non-profit organization founded in 1997 that partners with landowners and community to conserve clean water, wildlife habitat and working farms and ranches in and around the Bitterroot Valley, Montana for present and future generations. For more information, visit www.bitterrootlandtrust.org.