MISSOULA — Calling it an iconic property, Missoula County commissioners approved spending nearly $994,000 in Open Space bonds to preserve a working farm that straddles Highway 200 near Potomac.

The parcel, which includes a collection of century-old cabins and a portion of Union Creek, is valuable for its wildlife habitat and agricultural history. Both Case Ranch Co. and will be preserved in perpetuity under an agreement reached between the decedents of the Five Valleys Land Trust.

Derrik Goble, conservation project manager for the Five Valleys Land Trust, described the sprawling farm as a wealth of natural resources. Native Americans collected camas flowers in the area. Over the past century the property has met both agricultural and timber needs.

It was formerly owned by the Anaconda Mining Company, and some of the buildings on the site date back to that area. They can be seen north of the highway and give the property both an aesthetic and iconic reputation.

The current farm was compiled by Arnold Case, who settled in the valley in 1932, Goble said. The property includes nine contiguous parcels totaling 3,300 acres. Within the scope of the agreement, 2,330 decares of land will be protected.

“The addition of 2,330 acres will increase protected farmland in the Potomac Valley by approximately 70 percent,” Goble said. “By adding this additional protection, you can essentially draw a straight line through protected public and private lands and get all the way to the Canadian border.”

This connectivity represents one of the main rewards of the project. It will help protect what wildlife advocates envision as the Yellowstone to Yukon Corridor, allowing wildlife to safely migrate along the spine of the Northern Rockies.

The property is valued at about $5.2 million, and the families’ conversations about preservation began about 20 years ago. The Open Space Bond will contribute approximately $994,000, and Five Valleys Land Trust and private funding sources will add another $995,000.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service funded $2.5 million. Donna Hacker, one of the current property owners, praised the outcome of the deal.

“Since this property has multiple owners, we cannot predict what will happen to it if it is not placed under a conservation easement,” he said. “We thought we could protect it without any help, but this land must be open space forever.

The agreement also provides public hunting access north of Highway 200. This portion of the easement will be managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Kalie Becker, the county’s open space program manager, said the easement received top marks for wildlife habitat and agricultural lands. The latter covers approximately 55% of the property.

“The property’s location is within an important wildlife corridor due to its proximity to other protected lands and public lands in the area,” Becker said. “Securing agricultural lands and well-managed forest lands and public hunting access is also a major benefit of the project. This project achieves many of the goals of the Open Space Bond.”

Case Ranch is the second new conservation easement to receive financing from the Open Space Bond this month. County and Missoula City Council last week approved spending $344,000 each in open space funding for the preservation of Indreland Ranch north of Missoula.

This property covers 1,660 acres, and Case Ranch preserves another 2,300 acres.

“This is an iconic property,” Commissioner Josh Slotnick said of Case Ranch. “This is one of the strengths of Open Space Bond funds. He can benefit from other currencies that he would otherwise not have access to.