Federal agency OKs Lost Trail Conservation Area

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released the final environmental assessment and other documents necessary to establish the Lost Trail Conservation Area west of Kalispell.

The area will become a new unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, a sprawling network of public lands and waters created to preserve public access and wildlife habitats. There are hundreds of wildlife refuges across the country, including now 28 in Montana.

The federal agency will be able to create permanent easements on up to 100,000 acres within the project boundary in Flathead and Lincoln counties, which will provide public access for hunting, fishing, biking and wildlife viewing in mountain forests and along rivers and lakes.

The future easements, according to a news release, will prevent residential development while allowing individuals and companies with an approved timber harvest management plan to conduct sustainable commercial timber harvests.

In a prepared statement, Flathead County Commissioner Randy Brodehl said the Lost Trail Conservation is “extremely important” to the county’s economy.

“The timber helps secure local jobs. Those lands also are a favorite for hunters and other recreationalists. We are excited to work with private landowners in the area to protect those resources,” Brodehl said.

The project also will protect wildlife habitat.

Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Director Noreen Walsh said the undertaking will “safeguard key grizzly bear, Canada lynx and elk habitat…” It also serves as a migration corridor between Glacier National Park, the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, the Selkirk Mountains and into the Coeur d’Alene Mountains in Idaho. Fish Wildlife and Parks officials have identified the landscape as vital for elk, mule deer and other species that use it as a connectivity point.

The project integrates landscape-level wildlife and habitat conservation efforts by the Fish and Wildlife Service and a wide range of partners over the past 20 years.

No taxpayer dollars will be used to purchase the easements. Instead, future easements will be purchased using federal money from the now permanently authorized Land and Water Conservation Fund. The government program uses federal offshore oil and gas leases to support the conservation of natural resources across the nation.

Montana Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines, who pushed for the permanent authorization of the conservation fund, said in a prepared statement the project serves as a strong example of how the fund will benefit the state.

“Public access is a key driver of the economy in Northwest Montana and is critical to our state’s outdoor heritage,” Tester said. “It’s good news that conservation easements will be made available to private landowners through the Lost Trail Conservation Area, which will provide an opportunity for Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to be put to work right here in Montana, and this project will help protect access to prime forest lands, create jobs, and ensure folks can continue enjoying this one-of-a-kind landscape for generations to come.”

Prior to approving the project, the environmental assessment and land protection plan were made available for a 30-day review period from Sept. 16 to Oct. 16, 2020. During that time, the agency received approximately 30 public comments, which according to the news release, helped the agency “clarify and refine language regarding rare plants, mineral rights and what is included in the easements.”

No significant changes have been made to the final documents, which are available for review online at https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/refuges/ltrca.php

Reporter Kianna Gardner may be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com