Concerns arise about Plum Creek land access

The recently-announced acquisition of Plum Creek by timber giant Weyerhaeuser will result in the transfer of nearly 800,000 acres of forest and timber land in Montana to the new company, making Weyerhaeuser the nation’s largest single private forest land owner. Hunters accustomed to pursuing big game on those swaths of Plum Creek land may need to adjust their traditional practices, though, if recent history is any indicator of Weyerhaeuser’s intent regarding the land.

In recent years Weyerhaeuser has switched its policy regarding recreational access to the forest lands to a fee-based access system, charging recreational users – including hunters – fees of up to $750 for access to various properties in Oregon and Washington.

Andy Walgamott, editor of Northwest Sportsman magazine, has been following the changes in Weyerhaeuser policy for the past several years. He said the trend started around 2012, when the company decided to charge hunters for access to the Vail Tree Farm south of Olympia, Wash. In addition to requiring fees for access permits, the company also limited the number of permits available, adversely impacting what Walgamott characterized as some of the best blacktail hunting land in Washington.

“The fee not only cut down the number of hunters,” Walgamott said. “They also forced many hunters out of some of their traditional hunting grounds.”

Many hunters in Oregon and Washington, much like those in Montana, hunt for food for their families, Walgamott said. The addition of extra fees for access to land makes hunting those areas prohibitive or even impossible.

After implementing fees for Vail, Weyerhaeuser expanded the program to include PeEll Tree Farm and several more timber stands in Oregon and Washington. In 2013, the company acquired Longview Timber and then included that acreage to their fee-for-use portfolio in 2015. Weyerhaeuser’s recreational lands website lists 11 fee-for-use sites in Washington and Oregon.

From a practical perspective, enforcement of a fee access requirement might prove to be difficult. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game warden Phil Kilbreath said the sheer volume of Plum Creek land in northwest Montana alone would preclude wardens from being involved in active enforcement patrols on the land.

“Hypothetically speaking, and it’s a big hypothetical, if they were to shut the property down, we would investigate complaints and issue tickets for violations,” he said. “But actively patrolling and enforcing wouldn’t be realistic.”

Kilbreath said Block Management agreements and conservation easements could also preclude Weyerhaeuser from instituting fee-for-access programs on the land.

Montana’s Block Management Program creates agreements between private land owners and state agencies to allow free public hunting access to private lands. Conservation easements are deed restrictions that follow property in perpetuity, granting the right of free public access and protecting or preserving natural resources. These are generally donated by the land owners in exchange for tax breaks, although in rare circumstances easements have been purchased by government agencies.

Plum Creek’s website boasts a number of properties currently under conservation easements, but inquiries regarding the number of acres in Montana subject to such agreements went unanswered as of press time.

Anthony Chavez, Weyerhaeuser’s government and community relations manager, said the discussion of access fees on Plum Creek land is premature.

“Per your question of recreational access, the companies will continue to operate as separate entities until the transaction closes, which is expected to be in late first quarter or early second quarter of 2016,” he said. “As such, it would be way too premature to comment on your question.”

Walgamott disagreed, warning Montana hunters to pay very close attention to any coming changes under Weyerhaeuser management of Plum Creek land.

“Montana hunters should be very watchful about what Weyehaeuser intends to do regarding access for hunting on the land it acquires,” he said.