In the early morning hours of a sunny day in early August, a group of ranchers, conservation organizations and agency folks gathered in Alder, MT for the third annual Ruby Valley Strategic Alliance (RVSA) Field Tour.
The focus of the tour was to educate participants about the relationship between private and public lands and the role ranching plays in landuse conservation. The Ruby Valley Strategic Alliance was organized by local rancher and MSGA board member, Rick Sandru, in 2016 to recognize common goals and values between ranchers and conservation groups in southwest Montana.
The Montana Public Lands Council has been an active member of the RVSA and embraces the goals of keeping working ranchlands on the landscape, open spaces open, and long-term conservation for future generations of Montanans. The well-attended tour was a chance to talk about conservation efforts and demonstrate the successful work the ranching community has done to care for public lands and watersheds they steward.
Alongside local ranchers, the tour included staff members from state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, local elected officials, and the media. Ranchers, in step with their counterparts on the RVSA, believe that the successful and lasting solutions for the landscape are achieved by working together.
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