Snowcrest Ranch - Turner Ranches

Snowcrest Ranch

Ranch Manager: Billy Salada

Snowcrest Ranch is a 13,343-acre ranch located along the Upper Ruby River in southwest Montana.

The landscape of the ranch is diverse and varies from cottonwood/juniper forested river and creek bottoms, to dry grass/sage upland benches along the river and pine forests under the soaring peaks of the Snowcrest and Greenhorn mountains. These habitats and the ranch’s vast, open spaces support a variety of wildlife from neotropical migrant songbirds, raptors, and upland game birds to antelope, whitetail deer and mule deer, elk and bison. Black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes and wolves are also present on the property. The Ruby River corridor provides especially diverse and productive habitat for many species, including sand hill cranes, blue herons and bald and golden eagles.

In addition to managing the land in ways that promote sustainable bison ranching and wildlife populations, the Snowcrest Ranch is also involved in habitat restoration and native species conservation efforts. To promote riparian habitat diversity and bank stability along the Ruby River, the ranch is selectively thinning or removing monotypic juniper stands and planting native cottonwoods to enhance willow and cottonwood regeneration. Willow Creek, a small tributary to the Ruby River, was realigned to a more natural channel reversing past negative impacts that included straightening and entrenching the stream. In turn, fish populations are increasing in Willow Creek. In addition to these initiatives, Snowcrest also assisted resource agencies in reintroducing arctic grayling to the Ruby watershed and is currently working with state and federal agencies in an effort to conserve and restore westslope cutthroat trout in the upper Greenhorn Creek watershed.

Snowcrest has two 2 KW solar array systems generating electricity to help power structures on the ranch.

Turner Enterprises

Turner Enterprises, Inc. (TEI) is a private company responsible for managing the business interests, land holdings, and investments of Ted Turner. The company oversees a significant portfolio, including two million acres of land across eight states and a herd of more than 45,000 bison.

Turner Ranches

Ted Turner is recognized as one of the largest individual landholders in North America, with approximately two million acres of personal and ranch land. The management of Turner lands emphasizes the integration of economic viability with ecological sustainability. The ranches operate as working businesses, primarily focusing on bison, hunting, fishing, and ecotourism as their principal enterprises.

In addition to these activities, Turner ranches are involved in various progressive environmental projects, which include:

• Water resource management
• Timber management
• Reintroduction of native species to their lands

Overall, Turner Enterprises not only manages extensive land and bison resources but also champions environmental sustainability and philanthropic initiatives.

Philanthropic Engagement

TEI maintains a close relationship with Ted Turner's philanthropic and charitable endeavors. The organization is involved in the founding and ongoing operations of several notable initiatives, including:

• United Nations Foundation
• Nuclear Threat Initiative
• Turner Foundation
• Captain Planet Foundation
• Turner Endangered Species Fund

Turner Enterprises is headquartered in the Turner Building located in Atlanta, Georgia. This building is also home to the Ted's Montana Grill restaurant chain, as well as Turner Renewable Energy.