KALISPELL — 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.
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that 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.
- Nov. 2 - FWP Region 1 Headquarters, 490 North Meridian Road, Kalispell - Swan Valley conservation easement north of Condon (16,500 acres) and Lazy Creek conservation easement northwest of Whitefish (10,200 acres), 9-10 a.m.
- Nov. 4 - Ponderosa Room at Libby City Hall, 952 E. Spruce Street - Kootenai Valleys (28,000 acres) and Kootenai Forestlands (22,300 acres) conservation easements near Libby and Troy, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Thompson-Fisher River conservation easement (142,000 acres) west of Kalispell, 12-1 p.m.; Lost Trail Conservation Easement (7,300 acres) and Montana Great Outdoors (53,000 acres) 1-2 p.m.
- Nov. 17- F. H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company, 600 Halfmoon Road, Columbia Falls - Haskill Basin (3,020 acres) and Trumbull (7,068 acres) conservation easements near Whitefish, 5-7 p.m.
For more information, contact Leah Breidinger at lbreidinger@mt.gov or 406-751-4573.