Upcoming meetings to discuss FWP conservation easements in northwest Montana

The public is invited to attend upcoming meetings between Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and private landowners whose land is under conservation easement in northwest Montana.

These meetings encompass lands under the following easements: Lazy Creek, Lost Trail, Kootenai Valleys, Kootenai Forestlands, Swan Valley and Thompson-Fisher.

All together, the combined easement acreage encompasses approximately 226,300 acres.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land to protect its conservation values.

FWP holds conservation easements to protect vital fish and wildlife habitat, retain working lands, and maintain recreational access opportunities for the public. Lands under easement remain in private ownership and management, and landowners continue to pay property taxes.

The upcoming meetings are required annually by the conservation easement agreements and provide a forum for discussion of any issues related to public use, land use, access issues, conditions, or other unanticipated issues involving conservation easement lands.

Dec. 7 - Kootenai Valleys (28,000 acres) and Kootenai Forestlands (22,300 acres) conservation easements near Libby and Troy, 10 a.m. to noon, Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall, 952 E. Spruce Street

Dec. 7 - Thompson-Fisher River conservation easement (142,000 acres) west of Kalispell, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall, 952 E. Spruce Street

Dec. 15 - Lost Trail Conservation Easement (7,300 acres), 10 a.m. to noon, Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall, 952 E. Spruce Street

Meetings for the Haskill and Trumbull Creek conservation easements with F. H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company will be held later this winter, and times and locations will be announced at a later date.

For more information, contact Leah Breidinger at lbreidinger@mt.gov or 406-751-4573.