State eyes land protection in Swan Valley
Easement, land purchase would span 10,880 acres
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is exploring the potential for purchasing protection for about 10,880 acres of Plum Creek Timber Co. lands in the Swan Valley.
The state has released an environmental assessment outlining a $26.7 million plan to purchase a conservation easement for 7,200 acres, along with an outright purchase of 3,680 acres of company forest lands between the towns of Swan Lake and Condon.
The lands are mostly concentrated in the Goat and Squeezer Creek drainages east of Montana 83.
"It's got a little bit of everything," said Gael Bissell, a biologist with Fish, Wildlife and Parks who has been coordinating the transaction for the state. "There's habitat for black bears and grizzly bears coming off the mountains. It's at the north end of core whitetail winter range. It has the second most important bull trout tributaries in the [Swan] drainage. And it's a very popular hunting area."
Plum Creek's land-use manager for Montana could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
The transaction, if approved, would maintain traditional uses on the land, including hunting and timber harvest. On the 7,200 acres protected through conservation easement, the company would continue to manage for timber production, while guaranteeing public access.
On the 3,680 acres proposed for purchase by the state, there would be continued timber harvest through an interim management plan. For long-term purposes, Bissell said, the intention is to transfer ownership of the land, with conservation protections intact, to another entity, possibly the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which manages school trust lands in the Swan Valley.
The state continued talks with Plum Creek on potential conservation work following the landmark purchase of conservation rights to 141,000 acres of Plum Creek lands in the Thompson and Fisher river valleys of Lincoln and Sanders counties.
The Swan Valley proposal started taking shape in March, Bissell said.
"We've been working on it for about six months, in terms of details," she said.
After reorganizing as a real estate investment trust, Plum Creek announced three years ago its plans to sell off 20,000 acres (about one-fourth of its holdings in the Swan Valley), mostly for real estate purposes.
At the time, company officials said
they were interested in negotiating with the state or the Forest Service on a "conservation solution" for about 10,000 acres, or half the land.
"They are definitely planning on selling some parcels that have more value to the company as real estate rather than timber lands," Bissell said.
And that raised concerns about maintaining traditional access for hunters and maintaining habitat for fish and wildlife.
"It's hard to predict long term what they are planning on doing, so we think it's important to maintain the status quo," Bissell said of Plum Creek.
The transaction proposed by the state would have a total cost of $26.7 million, with the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy program contributing about 75 percent. The 25 percent balance would be provided by the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit organization, and its partners.
The state's draft environmental analysis is aimed at meeting several objectives: Conserving fish and wildlife habitat, maintaining public access and providing for continued forest management activities.
The state is seeking public comments on the proposal, with plans to hold a meeting at the Swan Lake Community Center on Oct. 20, with an open house at 6 p.m. and a public hearing at 7 p.m.
Copies of the draft analysis are available at Fish, Wildlife and Parks headquarters on Meridian Road in Kalispell or on the Internet at:
http://fwp.state.mt.us/publicnotices/
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com