The Kalispell Daily Inter Lake Dec. 29 editorial identifies several questions and concerns about the pending sale of 630,000 acres of western Montana Weyerhaeuser forestland to Southern Pine Plantations, a Georgia-based property and forest group.

From the editorial: An attorney for Georgia-based Southern Pine Plantations… immediately sought to ease growing concerns about future access to the property.

The attorney said Southern Pine has no plans “to change the long-standing practices of the prior owners related to public access, forest management, grazing, existing outfitting agreements and conservation easements, and other programs.”

Montana land trusts and many others are hoping that’s the case. The management of the 630,000 acres will have an impact on the economy and culture of western Montana.