Land Trust Partners with Military to Protect Westside Open Space
Prickly Pear Land Trust purchased this 84-acre property on the west side of Helena with the support of the Montana Army National Guard. Fort Harrison was motivated to this open space because of its proximity to the military’s training operations. Nicknamed “West Point” in a grateful nod to our partners, the property is a steep hillside covered in native grasses with a handful of knobs and meadows and several healthy stands of ponderosa.
Future Parkland Promotes Public Access and Wildfire Readiness
West Point provides many benefits to the community – wildfire buffer, wildlife habitat, and future public access. Prickly Pear plans to donate the land to the City of Helena Open Space program to be managed as a part of Mount Helena City Park. The Montana Fish Wildlife Conservation Trust also helped to fund this project.
