NATURAL RESOURCES

Padlock Ranch is located in the ecotone between the Big Horn Mountains and the mixed prairies of eastern Montana and Wyoming. This location provides a mixture of habitat types supporting a great diversity of plant and animal species.
 
Portions of the ranch support forest resources, primarily Ponderosa Pine Woodlands. The forest resources are managed to produce stand densities that would be similar to what existed prior to settlement. This type of management creates open parkland that is resistant to fire and pests, frees soil moisture, and promotes grass and for production, which reduces erosion.
 
Wildlife management, beyond good grazing management, requires protection of riparian areas and other critical or special habitats. Protection of riparian areas produces sound stream banks, produces overhanging vegetation and protects water quality.
 
At the Padlock, our goal is to meet or better best management practices in the management of our natural resources.