Keeping Paradise open: Nickelson family safeguards ranch from development

For many, Paradise Valley, characterized by the Absaroka Mountain Range to the east, the iconic Yellowstone River carving persistantly through, and the abundant wildlife frequently visible from U.S. Highway 89, is the final stretch of the journey to Yellowstone National Park.

But for the Nickelson family, a 437-acre slice of the valley has been home for generations.

In partnership with Gallatin Valley Land Trust, the family placed its ranch into a voluntary conservation easement in April, preserving it as agricultural land in perpetuity.

“This project in particular was really focused on supporting agriculture and agricultural production,” said Cole Herdman, who manages GVLT’s Northern Yellowstone Open Lands program.

In Park County, and across much of the state, agricultural lands face increasing threats from small tract development and subdivisions, Herdman said.

The Nickelson property, along Mill Creek, abuts other working ranches, many of which are also in conservation easements.

Consisting primarily of rangeland and pasture, the Nickelson property supports a cattle operation and hay production.

The conservation easement financially compensates landowners for agreeing to conserve their land for agricultural use, ensuring it will not be subdivided or developed.

If the family ever decides to sell the property, Herdman said the terms of the easement will transfer with the land.

The easement limits development across the entire parcel to facilities that support agricultural use.

“By restricting future subdivision of the property, we know those important conservation values — like agricultural production and open landscapes — will remain a top priority going forward,” Herdman said.

GVLT created the Northern Yellowstone Open Lands program to work directly with private landowners across Park County to conserve agricultural land, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space. Since 1995, GVLT said it has partnered with 22 families and conserved more than 22,000 acres in the county.

“It’s the landowner’s choice to make this commitment to conservation,” Herdman said. “Any time we have the opportunity to partner with families like the Nickelsons, it’s the greatest part of my job.”