Residents endorse state plans to add acreage to conservation easement

The second phase of a plan to conserve wildlife habitat and secure public access in the Cabinet Mountains is gaining widespread support from Flathead Valley residents. 

The state completed the first phase of the plan in February by purchasing rights to 32,821 acres of land roughly north of the Thompson chain of lakes from Green Diamond Resource Company, creating the Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement. Now, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking approval to add another 52,930 acres to the perpetual easement.

At a March 5 public meeting, long-time Happy’s Inn resident Mark Maskill praised the plan as a “common sense solution” to combat the subdivision and development of Montana forestlands.