KALISPELL — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public input on a potential project that would place nearly 53,000 acres of private timberland under a conservation easement.
“So, it’s a sizeable piece of land that we’re trying to protect with the timber company,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Spokesman Dillon Tabish.
The Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement is the second of a potential two-phased project totaling more than 85,000 acres of private timberland in the Cabinet Mountains between Kalispell and Libby.
The first phase totaled 33,000 acres and was recently approved by the Montana Land Board.
“To help this timber company maintain working forests and maintain public access, that’s what these conservation easements achieve,” said Tabish.
Tabish said the land is owned by Green Diamond Resource Company.
If the conservation easement is approved, the property would continue to provide public hunting access and prevent future development helping protect critical wildlife habitat.
“So it doesn’t take the land ownership out of private ownership, it actually keeps it in private ownership and also keeps it intact so it can’t be subdivided, broken off and developed, it has to stay as working forests which is good for our timber industry, it has to stay in good shape for our wildlife and it has to stay open to the public for public recreation like hunting.”
Funding for the conservation easement would come through the U.S. Forest Service Legacy Program, the Habitat Montana Program and private fundraising through Trust for Public Land.
Public comment is open on the proposed conservation easement until March 15.
To comment and learn more about the project, visit here.
