The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved two – and endorsed two – high-impact conservation projects at its Dec. 10 meeting, including the 7,256-acre Lost Trail Conservation Easement. 

     The Trust for Public Land has been a project leader on the Lost Trail effort, which involves using funding from the USFS Forest Legacy Program, Habitat Montana Program and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust to purchase a conservation easement from Southern Pine Plantations (former Weyerhaeuser forest lands) that will be held by Montana FWP. The Kalispell Daily Inter Lake reported significant support for the project, which allows continued public access, active forest management and protection of wildlife habitat while precluding subdivisions on the property.

     Jim Vashro of Flathead Wildlife was among the supporters of the project. “It will more than double the effectiveness of the Lost Trail Refuge,” he said. “We hope this easement will begin continued cooperation to establish future easements in the area.”

     Other projects approved by the commission include the Everson Bench Conservation Easement. Two projects endorsed by the commission include the Currant Creek Conservation Easement and the Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area Land Project.

     For more information about the projects visit the FWP website.