Libby to host conservation easement meeting

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

These meetings will focus on lands under the following easements: Haskill Basin near Whitefish, Trumbull Creek near Whitefish, and Lost Trail near Marion.

The meeting for the Lost Trail Conservation Easement (7,300 acres) near Marion, will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 10 at Libby City Hall, Ponderosa Room, 952 E. Spruce St.

The Lost Trail meeting was previously scheduled for Dec. 15 but postponed and rescheduled to this later date.

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.

Jan. 5 – Haskill Basin (3,020 acres) and Trumbull (7,068 acres) conservation easements near Whitefish, 5:30 p.m., Whitefish City Hall, Whitefish Room, 418 East Second St.

Earlier this winter, meetings were held with landowners and partners involved in the Swan Valley, Lazy Creek, Kootenai Valleys, Kootenai Forestlands, and Thompson-Fisher conservation easements.

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