Weyerhaeuser to Sell Montana Lands

[BigHornRam]

Fortunately much of the checkerboard has conservation easements in place with public access.

Largest MT Conservation Easement Completed

MISSOULA, MONTANA 9/30/03 – The Trust for Public Land today announced the completion of the final $6.5 million phase of a seven-year, cooperative, multi-party effort, the largest conservation easement in Montana’s history. This project protects over 142,000 acres in the Thompson and Fisher River...

www.tpl.org

 

[livingthedream]

Buyer of Weyerhaeuser land does not plan to change public access, management policies
https://nbcmontana.com//news/local/...t-to-change-public-access-management-policies

 

[TreeDog]

Buyer of Weyerhaeuser land does not plan to change public access, management policies
https://nbcmontana.com//news/local/...t-to-change-public-access-management-policies

I'm still leery. Sounds like a buy and flip deal. For what they paid it wouldn't be hard to make a huge profit breaking it up into smaller chunks. I hope I'm wrong though.

That said, breaking it up could make it more affordable to conservation organizations, state, Stimson, etc. that couldn't put the money up for the entire property. Of course then we would have to hope they were the next buyers and not our pals from Texas...

 

[Sytes]

So long as it's private land, whether given for the expansion of the west or owned via purchase, this is good news considering the flip side.
We could hold onto Weyerhaeuser and it's real estate intentions for sections, (i.e. Whitefish) or deal with another timber company...

One BIG win, it stayed in a Privately owned timber company and not a publicly traded, investors demanding $ over all else. So to see it out of Weyerhaeuser hands, is at least one + for public access.

 

[Bowhunter65]

Railroad grant paved way for huge land holdings

KALISPELL - The road runs arrow-straight, fresh blacktop laid smooth through logged-over forest, a string pulled tight between Montana's past and its future.

missoulian.com

 

[Bowhunter65]

I look out my window of my house and my office at work, the mountains I look at are Weyerhauser. The amount of people that could be impacted are tremendous. The one common thing I think about is that Southern Pines sold to the wilks brothers, period. I hope and pray we can come up with a solution with all our different organizations. I bought my home over 20 years ago thinking we were in heaven being surrounded by Plumcreek Timber company. The people in Idaho that were surrounded by Potlatch more than likely felt the same. This heavy on so many peoples minds, we had a Christmas party and this was the main subject of what will our child and grandchildren have to recreate on here in Region 1, near home. My 15 year son said I will move to where I can hunt and fish.

The impact on managing our wildlife will be super hard, that is a huge factor in a already heavy predator filled region.

 

[TheTone]

As an Idaho hunter that largely grew up hunting Potlatch lands and still does some every year I’m still very uncertain over the future of their land. When they went to a pay to access system it created a lot of discontent among locals and seems largely unpopular. They are now getting paid for hunting and fishing day access by IDFG, but at the same time charging for camping and this year began doing leases on camping sites. They also continue to chip away at their land holdings through divided pieces they advertise for the recreational value. They are logging country as hard and fast as I have seen in my lifetime, seems like a cut it and get rid of it possibility. The size of the company, shareholders, need to make money is where a lot of the uncertainty comes from. Local employees I know seem to have to constantly tell higher ups what they actually have here and how the locals feel about the land and it’s use

 

[Bowhunter65]

I was telling everyone in my early post about my views from and my office, these are from my office. This is Dregger Ridge, this is what is in the pictures and FWP is in the middle of trying to secure a conservation easement around the Lost Trail US fish & wildlife refuge. The pictures of the south ridge on the southside along Lost Prairie Road, Marion, Montana.

 

[livingthedream]

News Update. “Promises”

MT timberland purchaser promises continued public access
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/mt-timberland-purchaser-promises-continued-public-access

 

[Bulldog0156]

I was telling everyone in my early post about my views from and my office, these are from my office. This is Dregger Ridge, this is what is in the pictures and FWP is in the middle of trying to secure a conservation easement around the Lost Trail US fish & wildlife refuge. The pictures of the south ridge on the southside along Lost Prairie Road, Marion, Montana.

Dude you work at lost trail? Lucky!