Plum Creek Selling Montana Property to NC

[jryoung]

The Nature Conservancy has prohibited hunting on all the lands it owns here in North Idaho. It would be nice if Plum Creek could put some kind of easement on it to require that it remain open to hunting in perpetuity.

You sure about that? Pretty sure my Dad's neighbor hunts the Ball Creek.

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiative...es/idaho/placesweprotect/ball-creek-ranch.xml

 

[Pinecricker]

You sure about that? Pretty sure my Dad's neighbor hunts the Ball Creek.

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiative...es/idaho/placesweprotect/ball-creek-ranch.xml

You can't hunt Cougar Bay any more.

 

[BigHornRam]

A "filthy rich real estate developer" would go broke trying to develop any of these properties. Missoula County is not sub division friendly and sub division of these properties would never happen. That is why Plum Creek ended up selling these properties at a bargain price of about $725 per acre.

The NC will end up selling these properties in the future. Very possible that a Wilkes Bros. or Turner type buys up these properties at that price, and closes them off to public access......including hunting. Important that local sportsmen's groups get involved in the process of what will eventually happen with these properties.

 

[BigHornRam]

This hill has mule deer and whitetails, elk, moose, bighorns, both black and grizzly bears, wolves, cougar, grouse, and even a few turkeys. It's minutes from Missoula. It's also part of this land sale. Good opportunity for local sportsman's groups to get involved.

Here is another photo of a piece of this land sale I took a couple weeks ago. Some nice property the Nature Conservancy bought.

 

[The Hedgehog]

The NC will end up selling these properties in the future.

Why so?

 

[BigHornRam]

Why so?

They don't plan on owning these properties long term. That's not what they do.

 

[shoots-straight]

A "filthy rich real estate developer" would go broke trying to develop any of these properties. Missoula County is not sub division friendly and sub division of these properties would never happen. That is why Plum Creek ended up selling these properties at a bargain price of about $725 per acre.

The NC will end up selling these properties in the future. Very possible that a Wilkes Bros. or Turner type buys up these properties at that price, and closes them off to public access......including hunting. Important that local sportsmen's groups get involved in the process of what will eventually happen with these properties.

Any evidence that The NC has done this very thing you claim they will do? Track records are good examples of what next.

 

[BuzzH]

This deal closed today. In the article link there is a map worth looking at. From the Blackfoot to the Swan there is now a large swath of protected land.

http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com...lion-purchase-of-plum-creek-land-up-blackfoot

Had this land been sold to private individuals and not the Nature Conservancy, some of the best hunting within an hour of Missoula would have potentially been lost forever. Some great fishing and hiking too.

The Upper West Fork Gold Creek area, Belmont Creek, Black Mountain, Belmont Point and Game Ridge .They are important habitat and places with a lot of history - both Native American and after.

Pretty big lake to still not have a name registered with the GNIS and Bureau of Geographic Names.

The Nature Conservancy does some pretty important work in Western Montana and I appreciate the heck out of it.

Nameless Range,

You are correct about that area, lots of history and this area is very important to me. I shot my first big-game animal ever in the burnt fork tributary of Belmont Creek in 1980. I've hunted, trapped, and fished, all throughout the country between Missoula and HWY 83.

You are also right that several of the lakes on the border of the 'snake are not officially named.

Your post reminded me of one such lake very near Fly lake that is also "officially" unnamed on maps. However, a late friend of mine, Wendell Wisherd, named that lake near Fly with a sign in about 1979. He named it "Willig lake" after Bob Willig, another late friend who died in about 1978 when he rolled his truck enroute to hunt pronghorn near Harlowton with my Dad and I. I saw the sign once in about 1985, and to the best of my knowledge is probably still there. Also, Wisherd Ridge that runs from Sheep Mountain back toward hwy 200 is named after Wendell's Dad, who I also met in the mid-1970's when he was over 90 years old. I remember Wendell calling it "Pops Ridge" whenever we drove by on 200.

I was very happy to see the nature conservancy buy this and hopefully someday it will fall into public ownership.

Pretty sure my ashes will someday be spread over that country...

 

[BigHornRam]

Any evidence that The NC has done this very thing you claim they will do? Track records are good examples of what next.

As with the Montana Legacy Project and other initiatives, TNC only intends to be an interim landowner. Bryant says there could be some conveyances as early as 2016, but it will likely be several years before much of the 117,152 acres changes hands.

“I think we’ll begin that process as soon as we can get a strategy that has some community support and then work on the funding end of things,” he says. “We realize the world has changed a lot since we started the Legacy Project, so we expect to have to have a lot of public support for secured public access and that kind of thing.”

I've had a lengthy conversation with Chris, voiced some concerns, and ran some ideas by him. Don't you think this would be a good project for Missoula area sportsman's groups to give their input on, Shoot's? Don't get involved and I guarantee that at least a portion of this will go to a Ted Turner type.

 

[shoots-straight]

As with the Montana Legacy Project and other initiatives, TNC only intends to be an interim landowner. Bryant says there could be some conveyances as early as 2016, but it will likely be several years before much of the 117,152 acres changes hands.

“I think we’ll begin that process as soon as we can get a strategy that has some community support and then work on the funding end of things,” he says. “We realize the world has changed a lot since we started the Legacy Project, so we expect to have to have a lot of public support for secured public access and that kind of thing.”

I've had a lengthy conversation with Chris, voiced some concerns, and ran some ideas by him. Don't you think this would be a good project for Missoula area sportsman's groups to give their input on, Shoot's? Don't get involved and I guarantee that at least a portion of this will go to a Ted Turner type.

So do you know of some lands that TNC have bought that ended up in the hands of Ted Turner, or people like him?

Of course these lands hold high priority value for recreation potential. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

 

[The Hedgehog]

So do you know of some lands that TNC have bought that ended up in the hands of Ted Turner, or people like him?

Of course these lands hold high priority value for recreation potential. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

bighornram/shoot-straight:

I'm curious if there's something with Ted Turner "types" that cause heart burn to hunters and why?

 

[shoots-straight]

bighornram/shoot-straight:

I'm curious if there's something with Ted Turner "types" that cause heart burn to hunters and why?

It could be Jesus Christ for all I care, the point is the "Evidence" in which he claims to be in the know of who will end up with TNC lands. I just wanted some proof of his statement.

If a Ted Turner, or a Wilks, or Koch did end up with those lands, then I would guess they would treat them the same as their other properties, right. Just for richy rich.

I would rather see the public end up with them...

 

[BRI]

It could be Jesus Christ for all I care, the point is the "Evidence" in which he claims to be in the know of who will end up with TNC lands. I just wanted some proof of his statement.

If a Ted Turner, or a Wilks, or Koch did end up with those lands, then I would guess they would treat them the same as their other properties, right. Just for richy rich.

I would rather see the public end up with them...

I don't know of any instances where large blocks have been sold by TNC but west of Missoula, near Drummond a few individual sections of previously accessible land have been sold by TNC and subsequently closed off to the general public.


I want to see these in public hands too and hope a solution to obtaining them can be made. But if not, those parcels could go on the market and the potential for large blocks to be purchased is there.

 

[Eric Albus]

greenhorn....to fund larger purchases....and do not count on being able to hunt this ground for much longer.

 

[Ben Lamb]

greenhorn....to fund larger purchases....and do not count on being able to hunt this ground for much longer.

Why, is UPOM buying it?

 

[BigHornRam]

Nameless Range,

You are correct about that area, lots of history and this area is very important to me. I shot my first big-game animal ever in the burnt fork tributary of Belmont Creek in 1980. I've hunted, trapped, and fished, all throughout the country between Missoula and HWY 83.

You are also right that several of the lakes on the border of the 'snake are not officially named.

Your post reminded me of one such lake very near Fly lake that is also "officially" unnamed on maps. However, a late friend of mine, Wendell Wisherd, named that lake near Fly with a sign in about 1979. He named it "Willig lake" after Bob Willig, another late friend who died in about 1978 when he rolled his truck enroute to hunt pronghorn near Harlowton with my Dad and I. I saw the sign once in about 1985, and to the best of my knowledge is probably still there. Also, Wisherd Ridge that runs from Sheep Mountain back toward hwy 200 is named after Wendell's Dad, who I also met in the mid-1970's when he was over 90 years old. I remember Wendell calling it "Pops Ridge" whenever we drove by on 200.

I was very happy to see the nature conservancy buy this and hopefully someday it will fall into public ownership.

Pretty sure my ashes will someday be spread over that country...

First time I hunted Wisherd Ridge about 6 years ago, I was in one of the bowls with a small, shallow, kettle pond that shows up on the Lolo Forest Service map. I heard a loud crack, that sounded like sheep butting heads. Sure enough, 8 rams came trotting in to the upper end of the bowl. Couple were fairly nice rams. I can think of a lot worse places to spread my ashes.

 

[BigHornRam]

Most of the timbered land in this picture is now NC land. The point in the center is Sheep Mountain, which is in the Lolo NF, as well as the land to the North of it. Wisherd Ridge is mostly hidden and to the left of Sheep Mountain.

Contrary to popular opinion, Plum Creek did not cut every last tree on these properties. Biggest problem TNC will have to contend with is a serious noxious weed problem.

 

[BigHornRam]

If a Ted Turner, or a Wilks, or Koch did end up with those lands, then I would guess they would treat them the same as their other properties, right. Just for richy rich.

I would rather see the public end up with them...

Then you better get involved Shoot's.

The "whoa is me", class envy crap, that gets spewed on this site, get's a little old. If it wasn't for the "filthy rich" contributors to the TNC, this land purchase would have never happened.

 

[shoots-straight]

Then you better get involved Shoot's.

The "whoa is me", class envy crap, that gets spewed on this site, get's a little old. If it wasn't for the "filthy rich" contributors to the TNC, this land purchase would have never happened.

You know Paul, I rarely see you at any meeting concerning land exchanges or wildlife. Come to think about it, I have never seen you at one.'

"Then you had better get involved"

You had better be looking in the mirror when you say that.

There's some filthy rich that are very good people. Just because they have money doesn't make them evil. It's what they do with those resources that matter.

 

[BigHornRam]

You know Paul, I rarely see you at any meeting concerning land exchanges or wildlife meetings. Come to think about it, I have never seen you at one.'

"Then you had better get involved"

You had better be looking in the mirror.

There's some filthy rich that are very good people. Just because they have money doesn't make them evil. It's what they do with those resources that matter.

Robert,

I've never seen you at the Youth Outdoor Expo. First meeting is Thursday night. Going to be there?