Durland Ranch joins 4,000 acres of Darby in-progress, protected conservation easements

Durland Ranch joins 4,000 acres of Darby in-progress, protected conservation easements

Les Durland's great grandfather Frank Cook started homesteading on the west fork of the Bitterroot in the late 1800s."In 1892, he traded ranches with a gentleman named George Sherrill. That's how we ended up on the property we're on now," Durland said.In the early 1900s, the big ditch was put in on the Durland's property. Seasonally, it fills up with water from Lake Como and helps irrigate the Bitterroot Valley going North.So, not only is the la…