A tract of land near Yellowstone National Park which had been identified as a potential gold mining site in 2023 has been added to the roster of public lands after The Conservation Fund, the United States Forest Service and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition came together to make the transaction happen, which including purchasing land as well as mineral rights.

The 161-acre parcel was added to the Custer-Gallatin National Forest in two parcels, one acquired by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the other by The Conservation Fund. The deal also includes 208 acres of mineral rights to the Forest Service to ensure that the land which includes part of Palmer and Crevice Mountains will be shielded from gold mining forever.

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The Greater Yellowstone Coalition had originally purchased the mineral rights, leases and claims on nearly 1,600 acres by the Crevice Mining Group, according to a joint press release put out by the two organizations. However, even after the purchase in 2023, the groups still had to work with the privately held land and mineral rights which could have reopened to mining.

The new public land will now be protected by the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which passed Congress in 2019 and will protect the area from future mining.

“Protecting Yellowstone from the impacts of gold mining and securing new public land is a great outcome that benefits both iconic wildlife and local communities,” GYC Executive Director Scott Christensen said.

The groups note that the area provides habitat for grizzly bears, a migration corridor for elk, mule deer and bighorn sheep, and is one of the few designated places outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park where bison can freely roam.

“By securing land within this critical landscape on the edge of Yellowstone, we’re doing more than safeguarding a vital habitat,” said Gary Sullivan, Montana senior advisor at The Conservation Fund. “We’re honoring a way of life that defines Montana and ensuring future generations can experience the same wild, open spaces that make the place so special.”

The land is located near Gardiner, Montana.

The U.S. Forest Service was able to purchase the two parcels for about $2 million using the Land and Water Conservation Fund.