Conservation.
“Under the blanket of winter, in the freezing cold, nature has a better chance of recovery than in the warmth of human embrace.”
–Brandon S. Lewis
Nature.
It’s hard to imagine our world without wildlife and beautiful scenery. Though, how often do we have a vantage point to see what’s already lost? Acre by acre, human civilizations destroy nature without really considering the ultimate cost.
At the Diamond P Ranch, our ambition is to provide that vantage point on horseback, a place to pause and look from within the forest and observe the outside world, a place to witness our impact on the natural world that we treasure so much, and perhaps even support efforts to protect it.
Our Initiatives
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The most important action we have taken towards conservation is our refusal to sell out to developers. The ranch is one of the most desired properties in West Yellowstone because of our vast open spaces on both sides of Highway 20––we are a golden road to Yellowstone National Park. RV park developers are eager to acquire this land and turn it into a massive parking lot for visitors to Yellowstone.
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Given the ongoing development threats to this area, the ranch has taken the initiative to create a master conservation and stewardship plan for the ranch. This plan will provide helpful guidance as we endeavor to be supportive custodians of this land to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
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With the abundant wetland and aquatic ecosystems flowing through the ranch, we are implementing a wetland and stream restoration project to restore native cutthroat trout habitat, increase ecosystem biodiversity, and offset habitat losses from development by expanding wildlife supporting habitat on the ranch. Additionally, we are exploring possibilities with our neighbors to continue this project through their private land all the way to Hebgen Lake.
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In an effort to support the movement and migration of wildlife through the Hebgen Basin, from the Madison Valley and Yellowstone National Park, we are working to modify and remove ranch fencing in certain areas to reduce potential harm to wildlife. One particular species at risk are pronghorn that thrive and birth their young around the ranch.
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We are in the planning stages of conservation trail rides that offer a first hand look into actual conservation challenges, restoration sites, and natural ecosystems that we have enhanced or restored to support wildlife population recovery.
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The Diamond P Ranch is paving the way to protect equestrian legacy, heritage, and open spaces on a massive scale in the West. As headquarters to the Equestrian Conservation Coalition, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we are using our ranch in Yellowstone Country as a testing grounds for conservation of open spaces and preservation of our equestrian way of life.
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The ranch will be offering limited conservation focused film and photography workshops by an award-winning National Geographic producer, photographer, and documentary film maker. Sign up to our email list for updated information.
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As a result of development and infrastructure expansion in the area, many of the historic sites and trails so precious to our history and heritage are being lost and destroyed. In order to prevent further loss, we are working in partnership with the Yellowstone Historic Center and several other nonprofit members, to revive and restore these precious aspects of Yellowstone’s past. Ocile Portmann was a founding director of the original Historic Society in West Yellowstone and we are proud to continue supporting this important work.
Yellowstone wildlife depend upon this ecosystem.
The Diamond P Ranch is the epicenter of critical wildlife habitat in the West Yellowstone area, called the Hebgen Lake Basin. With lush wetland and aquatic ecosystems and wide open meadows, a variety of Yellowstone’s wildlife species inhabit this land including grizzlies, elk, pronghorn, foxes, sandhill cranes, and many others.
In the winter, wildlife migrate outside the park into the Hebgen Lake Basin for survival. The ranch’s north pasture and adjacent land has been home to birthing pronghorn for generations. However, in recent years, increased growth to the area is pushing wildlife out and bringing in more vacation homes, glamping and RV sites––ultimately threatening the survival of many species and working against the mission of Yellowstone National Park.
Watersheds such as Denny and Buttermilk Creek, flowing through the ranch, feed this rich wetland ecosystem all the way to the South Fork of the Madison River and into Hebgen Lake. Wild trout species that depend upon these clean flowing water resources include the non-native rainbow and brown trout in addition to the native cutthroat trout––supporting the legendary trout fly fishing waters in this area.
