Middle Fork Land & Livestock Co.

In November 2024, The Climate Trust finalized its fifth and largest grassland conservation investment with Middle Fork Land and Livestock Co. in Rosebud County, Montana. The ranch is owned and operated by Brent Salmond, a fifth-generation rancher with deep roots to the land. “It’s in my heritage and in my blood to believe that there’s just places that need to be preserved,” shared Brent about his ranch. 

The investment was financed by The Climate Trust and Inlandsis Fund as their first project together. Alongside funding from NRCS’s ALE program, the investment was used to pay for a pair of perpetual, no-till conservation easements on the Salmond family properties that protect the land from any future development. The easements are being held by Montana Land Reliance. 

But this project is more than ranching and carbon. Wildlife species dependent on rangelands and prairies across the Great Plains are some of the most imperiled in North America. “These grasslands provide critical habitat for hundreds of important species and countless ecosystem services,” explained Travis Croft, Program Manager at The Climate Trust. “Projects like this are highly collaborative – bringing together the conservation community to achieve shared goals in support ecological resilience and natural climate solutions. ”

Rancher Brent Salmond feels this as well through his own experiences working his land. He shared, “We have horses and cattle, all of this wildlife on the ranch. I don’t know how you could have any better interaction in the world. From the dung beetles to the bull elk in the morning, to the rattle snakes in the day. I’ve seen black bears, ravens, coyotes… What I have you can’t give to anybody. Since I was a little boy playing with cows and horses, I hated school. Ranching is all I’ve ever wanted to do.” 

“What I have you can’t give to anybody. Since I was a little boy playing with cows and horses, I hated school. Ranching is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Through this project, the Salmond family will continue their legacy of ranching and have the financial support to maintain their working grasslands and not be pressured to convert it to or sell it for cropland. The Climate Trust aims to reach even more ranchers through its Grassland Conservation Carbon Program. Since our first projects with the Zumwalt Prairie Cooperative, we have been pioneering ways to leverage carbon financing for grassland conservation. 

As Brent shared, “The Climate Trust team is top-notch on explaining carbon markets. They are there to help you whether you’re a farmer or a rancher or whoever. I worked closely with Kyler Sherry (Chief Operations Officer) and she’s great because she’s worked on ranches and has a true passion for family farms.” 

By reaching more rural communities and generational ranchers, we hope to support their livelihoods and keep more carbon in the soil—protecting and preserving rangeland for generations to come. “Working with ranchers is essential for us to build climate resilient communities and protect the land and legacy of family ranches across the Great Plains,” said Kyler Sherry, Chief Operations Officer.  

Interested in carbon markets for your land or conservation easements? Contact us today to learn more about our process for carbon projects.