The Trust for Public Land, in partnership with Southern Pine Plantations, (SPP), announced the opportunity to permanently protect nearly 200,000 acres in Northwest Montana through “working forest” conservation easements. The property available for conservation would stitch together 317,000 acres of conservation work completed over the last 20 years that protects important working timberland from Glacier National Park through the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness to the Selkirk and Coeur d’Alene mountains in the Idaho panhandle.

The proposed conservation easement would preclude development, ensure sustainable timber management, maintain wood-product jobs, protect incredible wildlife habitat and landscape connectivity, and provide permanent public access to extraordinary recreation lands. 

      “The opportunity to protect this property completes the connectivity of previous conservation efforts and would ensure permanent public access to a highly used recreational corridor. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said The Trust for Public Land’s Northern Rockies Director, Dick Dolan “The framework is in place but we and our partners and donors need to act quickly to ensure we are successful. Forests and mountains like these are the lifeblood of Montana and a vital part of making our state a great place to live, work, and play. We also have the opportunity to protect Montana’s forestry heritage by ensuring the state’s timber industry can continue sustainably for generations to come. We are grateful to SPP and our government partners in working together towards this goal.”

MT FWP Photo