FWP hosting Nov. 6 meeting in Libby to discuss conservation easements in northwest Montana

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

The meeting, set for Nov. 6 at the Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall, 952 E. Spruce Street, will include three segments.

The Kootenai Valleys (28,000 acres) and Kootenai Forestlands (22,300 acres) conservation easements near Libby and Troy will run from 11 a.m. to noon.

The Thompson-Fisher River conservation easement (142,000 acres) west of Kalispell will run from noon to 1 p.m. and the Lost Trail Conservation Easement (7,300 acres), is from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

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.

Meetings will only focus on existing conservation easements and not proposed easements, such as the Montana Great Outdoors project.

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.