Conservation easement placed on 51 acres near Swan Lake

Just before the Covid pandemic, Paul Johnson and his wife Candace Greene made the move to buy a plot of land near their cabin on Swan Lake. 

Part of around 260 acres previously owned by F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co., the 51-acre parcel had been largely undisturbed since the logging company came through. But as the land around it was cut up into lots and developed, Johnson worried it would be turned into housing.  

“It’s what we like about Montana, and what everybody likes about Montana, so I thought we’d try to do our share to preserve a very small piece of it,” he said. “I figured if we didn’t buy it, it would soon be developed into lots like the other 200 acres and it’s such a beautiful spot ... I’d hate to have all that go away.” 

On Aug. 16, Johnson and Greene placed the land under a donated conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust after two-and-a-half years of work to get the land preserved.  

The easement will protect a viable wildlife corridor, a variety of trees and understory growth, as well as views for travelers on Montana 83.  

“Preserving this wooded hillside above Swan Lake also safeguards the exceptional water quality of the lake. Keeping this area undisturbed minimizes sediment runoff, the biggest threat to the lake's health,” a release from Flathead Land Trust reads.  

Johnson and Greene are based primarily in Seattle, though Johnson’s family ties to Montana started back in 1941 when his father was a red bus driver in Glacier National Park. Growing up in Ohio, a picture of St. Mary Lake hung in the family’s basement. Johnson and his brother, Neil, hounded their parents to take them to see the park in person. They visited for the first time when Paul was 13, and the brothers returned to work at Lake McDonald for a summer during college. That was enough for Neil, who finished his schooling at the University of Montana and lived the rest of his life in Missoula. Paul and Greene bought their cabin on Swan Lake in 1993 and have been visiting ever since.  

Greene, on the other hand, was from South Carolina.  

“I’d never even thought about Montana,” she said, “but when we met Paul just talked about it all the time and so when we bought this little cabin, I got pretty fond of it. And it is a special place and we want to keep it that way.” 

White-tailed deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, red fox and an estimated 63 bird species all frequent the property, according to studies by Flathead Land Trust. Grand fir, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, western larch and paper birch also populate the landscape. Johnson reported that his neighbors had seen a grizzly bear on their property, suggesting even more biodiversity.  

Flathead Land Trust works with property owners to conserve their land.  

“We tell people, if you’re interested in conservation, if your property means something to you, give us a call. We’re always willing to come out, take a look, have a conversation and figure out whether or not to move forward with it,” Land Protection Specialist Ryan Hunter said.  

Typically, the land trust looks to preserve properties that are 40 acres or more. Their projects over the years have ranged in size from a few acres up to 4,000. They are looking for the things that keep a landscape healthy: wildlife corridors, open spaces, waterways and wetlands; as well as maintaining farmland and views. Flathead and Trust also looks to conserve farmland and smaller acreages with unique environmental qualities.  

Entering a property in a conservation easement typically means that it cannot be subdivided, though the Flathead Land Trust generally makes sure there is room for at least one residential structure should property owners or future buyers wish to live there. It also means the land trust will check back in every year to do a recount of the wildlife and foliage. 

But mostly it means leaving the land alone.  

Though putting the land in an easement may make it more difficult to sell in the future, Johnson's and Greene's children were all for the conservation of their inheritance. Paul encouraged others with wild land to participate in the Flathead Land Trust’s efforts.  

“It would be nice if the character of Montana could be retained to the extent possible,” he said.