Public lands in Montana and the Dakotas vary from open prairies in the east to rugged mountains in the west. The BLM manages about 8 million acres in Montana scattered throughout the State. The agency also watches over about 335,000 acres of land in the Dakotas. These lands provide habitat for wildlife, forage for domestic livestock, riparian areas that help improve water quality in our rivers and streams, and forest products ranging from Christmas trees to commercial timber. But for many, the most important benefit of these public lands is the seemingly endless open space.