Between 2014 and 2021, the Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) program invested $109 million in protecting 289,000 acres of Montana farm and ranch land, making Montana the leading state in conservation easements. Using the impact analysis of agricultural easements in Colorado (see #6 above) as a model, this report calculates the economic impact of Montana’s land conservation. ALE financing from 2014-2021 yielded $1.89 in economic activity for every dollar invested, producing a total economic impact of $182 million, supporting 1,057 local jobs, and contributing $99 million to the state’s GDP.
Publications
Working for Montana Agriculture: Economic Benefits of Conservation Easements for Montana’s Farms, Ranches, and Communities
Downloadable Documents
Author
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Montana, the Montana Association of Land Trusts (MALT), and the Heart of the Rockies Initiative
Page Numbers
20
Publication Date
June 01, 2022
Publication Type
Reports and Guides
State
Montana
Keywords
Conservation Easements, Federal Farmland Protection Policies & Programs