Introduction 2019

Published: 2019
By Marko Manoukian

Phillips County is in North Central Montana along the Hi-Line. It encompasses 3.2 million acres with 33% being managed by the Bureau of Land Management and 48.5% as private lands. Other land managers in the area are Montana State Lands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Agriculture is the main industry in Phillips County consisting of 54,000 mother cows (ranking third most in the state); 5,900 sheep; 363,200 of crop acres; and 40,000 acres of irrigated land. The gross value of all agricultural commodities in 2016 was over $91 million dollars excluding any government program. Recreation is also an industry in the county. There is big game and upland bird hunting. Warm water fish species are available in the Milk and Missouri River, which make up the southern border of the county. There is one large irrigation reservoir, Nelson Reservoir, that has warm water sport fishing.