Big Snowy conservation easement west end

[DFS]

Just to be clear I verified the conservation easements I was talking about were fwp purchased. Access is not guaranteed and seems seasonal through block management and limited. Access is used quite loosely in the wording. It still might be a good thing the way things are headed but I would not equate conservation easements as access.

 

[Ben Lamb]

It still might be a good thing the way things are headed but I would not equate conservation easements as access.

100%. Access can be provided, but it's managed and not open for full use. I'm good with that, as access is a benefit of the easement, not the primary reason for it's purchase. Quality access versus quantity access & ensuring that the land remains intact through perpetual easements - that's where it's at.

 

[DFS]

100%. Access can be provided, but it's managed and not open for full use. I'm good with that, as access is a benefit of the easement, not the primary reason for it's purchase. Quality access versus quantity access & ensuring that the land remains intact through perpetual easements - that's where it's at.

I don’t disagree with you to some extent. I could point several places on the map where Montana could have money better spent. The public isn’t getting much return from many of these purchases and the cost is high. I am not going to do that until Montana changes its management, lack of access is a good thing for wildlife that reside in this state.

 

[Mountain Man]

It’s been a waste of money in my parts unless the point was not developing, which I understand and appreciate we do not want to become Bozeman.

The whole point of conservation easements is literally to prevent development. That is the purpose of the program. This purpose is what the money is leveraged for. If you think it is a waste of money then you are pro development and don’t place any value on open spaces or habitat preservation.

 

[Dakotakid]

Please take the time to send comments to [email protected]

Certainly conservation from development has a value for wildlife. And an even higher value for wildlife and sportsman would be the conservation of the property from development along with public unrestricted access to the forest service.

The scoping is an opportunity to support the project with the identified unrestricted access to additional public lands. A pretty large area of inaccessible public lands.