FWP seeking public input on proposed timberland conservation easement

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is soliciting public input on the potential purchase of a conservation easement on 47,907 acres of timberland in the Thompson River drainage of Flathead and Sanders counties.

The land, owned by Green Diamond Resource Company, is near hundreds of thousands of timberlands already protected through easements.

A conservation easement, a voluntary agreement between landowners and the state, on the land does two things, said Dillon Tabish, information and education program manager with the state wildlife agency. It prevents development on the land in perpetuity and guarantees public access into the future.

Green Diamond Resource Company would retain ownership of the property under the easement, meaning they will pay taxes and work the land. The proposed conservation easement would be held by the state wildlife agency.

“It’s a win for wildlife habitat and it's a win for public access,” Tabish said.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks applied for grants to purchase the easement from multiple programs, notably through the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, which is funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Tabish said. The Trust for Public Land also assists in grant funding. *

Comments received from the preliminary evaluation will help determine public interest, identify any possible issues and provide insights on the overall plan.

“This project allows the land to be kept as a working forest and sustainably managed for timber production,” said Sam McSherry, a project associate in the Northern Rockies office of the Trust for Public Land. “It also permanently protects free public access and recreation on the property.”

Upon completion of the comment period, state wildlife officials will determine next steps, which could include a possible environmental analysis with additional time for public comment or taking no further action on the proposed project.

“We've got a willing landowner at the table, we've sat down and had some preliminary discussions about the project, but before we start hammering out specifics we want to see what the public says,” Tabish said.

The project borders the 142,000-acre Thompson-Fisher conservation easement and the proposed 86,000-acre Montana Great Outdoors conservation easement as well as the Lolo National Forest, Kootenai National Forest and lands belonging to the Department of National Resources and Conservation.

The deadline to comment on the project is June 3. Interested parties can email their comments to Leah Breidinger, a habitat conservation biologist at the state wildlife agency, at lbreidinger@mt.gov. Written comments, made out to Breidinger, can be sent to 490 N. Meridian Road, Kalispell, MT 59901.

The state wildlife agency is also asking for comments on a proposed forest habitat improvement and fuels reduction project on the state agency owned Ray Kuhns Wildlife Management Area in Flathead County. To comment on this proposed project, written comments can be sent to the FWP Region 1 Office at the same address listed above, or may be emailed to Ethan Lula, an area wildlife biologist, at ethan.lula@mt.gov.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.

• This article has been updated to accurately state that the funding for the project comes from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, which is funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.