Milk River Ranch has new name, management rules

HELENA (AP) — The Milk River Ranch property purchased by the state in December has a new name and interim management rules that allow hunting and hiking, but no camping , fossil collecting or commercial use.

The 2,992-acre property purchased by the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks for $4.7 million along with about 6,000 acres of adjacent school trust land is now called the Lost River Wildlife Management Area.

FWP Wildlife Program Manager Mark Sullivan said Thursday the agency already has a Milk River WMA. The Lost River is a tributary to the Milk River located on the property, which is about 45 miles northwest of Havre.

Sullivan says a working group will be formed this winter to develop a long-term management plan for the land.