8.12.2008 - 03:11pm ET

(CSRwire) CAMERON, Mont., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Roger Lang, owner of Sun Ranch, has made a private donation of $3.9 million to protect the water, wildlife and working land of the Madison Valley, announced The Trust for Public Land (TPL) this week. The gift will be used to establish the Sun Ranch Fund at The Trust for Public Land for the acquisition of lands and interests in land that contribute to protecting the vast open space and agricultural heritage of Montana's renowned Madison Valley.

Lang made the unprecedented gift to help protect extraordinary wildlife habitat, guarantee long-term wildlife connectivity and safeguard the rural character and largely intact working landscape in one of the most ecologically important corners of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

A passionate conservationist, Lang is a founder of the Sun Ranch Group which has created a market-driven model for securing large tracts of important lands, including crucial wildlife habitat and migration routes. The model includes putting the majority of the land into conservation. TPL and Lang began working together more than two years ago to protect over 11,000 acres of the famed Sun Ranch, culminating earlier this summer with the placement of a conservation easement, which in combination with an existing easement, protects more than 95% of the 19,000-acre ranch from any future subdivision or development. Lang donated over $17.5 million of $23 million Fair Market Value of the conservation easement value to the public.

The Sun Ranch Group is a fully sustainable "conservation enterprise" built around environmentally credible practices in real estate, agriculture, construction and recreation. Sun Ranch Group includes The Lodge at Sun Ranch eco-lodge; Sun Ranch Agriculture holistic ranch operations; Sun Ranch Settlements, low impact residential conservation real estate communities; Sun Ranch Construction a green-build company; and the nonprofit Sun Ranch Institute. For additional information, visit http://www.sunranch.com or call 406.551.1050.

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