Montana Land Reliance

Montana Land Reliance is a non-profit organization registered as a corporate entity (tax exempt) in SAM.gov since June 12, 2013. The organization specializes in conservation and protection of agricultural land and wildlife habitat through federal grant programs. Montana Land Reliance primarily provides services related to securing conservation easements on private agricultural lands to protect wildlife habitat, particularly for at-risk species such as sage grouse, pronghorn, and grassland birds. Their work involves partnering with federal agencies and other organizations to implement conservation projects that benefit both landowners and wildlife. Through these efforts, Montana Land Reliance plays a crucial role in preserving Montana's natural landscapes and supporting sustainable agriculture practices.

Montana Land Reliance has received both prime federal grant awards and sub-grant awards for its conservation efforts. A recent prime award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provided $543,276 for a Cooperative Agreement to support a Montana Program Coordinator assisting with Agricultural Land Easements projects. This award, funded through the USDA's Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (CFDA 10.931), aims to conserve eligible land and natural resources through partnerships. The organization has also received multiple sub-grant awards from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. These projects include permanently protecting multi-generation private working ranches in Rosebud County, Montana through conservation easements to benefit the greater sage grouse and preserve wildlife habitat. Another significant sub-grant project involved permanently conserving 75,000 acres of private land in central and eastern Montana, benefiting pronghorn, at-risk bird species, and other grassland- and sagebrush-obligate wildlife. This project aimed to complete five conservation easements and conserve 10 sage-grouse leks. Through these various grant-funded initiatives, Montana Land Reliance consistently works to protect high-quality grassland habitats from conversion to row crop agriculture, ensuring the perpetual preservation of crucial wildlife habitats across Montana.