The BLM would receive over 5,200 acres of deeded land in exchange for the segmented 4,900 acres of inholdings on the N-Bar ranch south of Lewistown.  But more importantly, the exchange would open public access to over 70,000 acres of land in Fergus and Blaine Counties.

 

This includes:

 

- Reopening access to approximately 50,000 acres of BLM land in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument – without building a new road.

 

- Transfer of additional private parcels in and around the Breaks Monument would add another 2,000 acres of deeded land to the deal, and open access to an additional 10,000 acres of public land.

 

- Transfer of about 1,200 acres of deeded land along Red Hill Road and public access to over 10,000 acres of prime elk habitat on US Forest Service land in Fergus County. 

 

Additional benefits of this land transfer include:

 

o   Protection of several thousand acres of sage grouse general habitat

 

o   Roadway access to an abundance of desirable, marketable timber

 

o   Nearly four miles of added Red Hill road frontage providing additional access to the Big Snowy Mountains, including road access that connects to a forest service road that ultimately goes to Big Baldy Peak

 

o   Access to over three miles of riparian creek bottom land including Maynard Creek, Flatwillow Creek, and other creeks

In sum, this amounts to improved roadway access to over 70,000 acres of public land, with no loss of public lands having roadway access.