Malta Ducks Unlimited Banquet makes conservation happen

Through word-of-mouth, attractive conservation programs and hard work by ranchers over the last couple of years, Ducks Unlimited and partners have created a complex south of Dodson that includes more than 11,000 acres of protected wetlands and grasslands. At the same time, the protected acres are still in agriculture and the majority are in private ownership.

"DU and our partners are in the business of keeping ranchers in business," Bob Sanders, DU manager of conservation programs for Montana said. "Helping Phillips County landowners find conservation programs that are a fit for them and their...