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FWP eyes solution for contested land swap
By PERRY BACKUS of the Missoulian
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are hoping they have a fix to the controversy brewing over a land swap in the Bitterroot Valley.
FWP is working with a third party to acquire about 368 acres adjacent to the state lands being considered for trade to the J.R. Miller Ranch near Sula, said Mack Long, FWP Region 2 supervisor.
The land is just east of the Miller Ranch property and is currently surrounded by state and U.S. Forest Service lands.
The current proposal calls for the third party to acquire the property and hold it long enough for FWP to purchase it using Habitat Montana funds. FWP would then trade the property to the state's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in return for lands DNRC holds inside FWP's Calf Creek and Three Mile game ranges in the Bitterroot.
“This would really help with the access issue on state lands near the Miller Ranch,” said Long. “It would be a win-win for everybody.”
Long said FWP plans to ask the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission for authority to purchase the property from the third party at a meeting next week.
Habitat Montana monies are set aside to purchase property deemed critical for winter range and wildlife habitat.
“This proposal fits very well,” said Long. “We'd be spending our money to acquire more game range and the DNRC would secure public access into the future.”
“It's about as well-supported land exchange as I've ever been involved in, and I've been involved in a lot of them,” he said.
Long said it's important that both land exchanges occur.
“I'd hate to see one go and not the other,” he said. “They are meant to go together in order for them to work right.”
The J.R. Miller Ranch wants to trade 1,458 acres it owns north of Lincoln for 800 acres of state lands adjacent to its property near Sula. Miller had purchased the property from the Nature Conservancy with plans to trade it to the state.
The final approval for the land exchange is on the state Land Board's agenda for Jan. 17.
The trade is part of a larger transaction occurring between the Nature Conservancy, Blackfoot Challenge and Plum Creek Timber Co. The groups are negotiating to buy up to 88,000 acres of the timber company's land in and around the Blackfoot Valley.
So far, the groups have completed the sale on 43,000 acres. The groups have options on the remaining 45,000 acres that requires the Nature Conservancy to buy parcels in 2005, 2006, 2007.
In order for the Nature Conservancy to free up cash to meet the deadlines, it needs to dispose of the lands already purchased from Plum Creek, which include the lands purchased by Miller.
That trade has been mired in controversy after Bitterroot sportsmen, legislators and county officials raised a number of questions, including land values, public involvement and the potential loss of hunting opportunities.
On Wednesday, Ravalli County Attorney George Corn and Sen. Jim Schockley, R-Victor, said they want the state to slow down and take another look at the proposed exchange.
“There are just too many unanswered questions at this point,” Corn said. “It would be irresponsible to make a decision. ... We'd like to see it tabled for at least another month.”
Schockley said there are concerns about the appraised value of the state lands that Miller hopes to acquire.
“You can't give away state lands for less than they are worth,” Schockley said.
Both men were concerned that the FWP's deal might not come through.
“They're trying to cobble together a deal within a month. ... It's something that might work, but right now we don't have any guarantees,” said Corn. “They don't have anything in writing.”
DNRC Director Mary Sexton said the state has been working on the Miller exchange for two to three years and feels it's time to move forward.
Sexton said she understood the asking price for property sought by FWP was $2,500 an acre. The state had agreed to value Miller's property at $2,725 an acre, plus Miller had agreed to add $160,000, as well as an additional access.
Both properties have public access problems and both were burned over in the 2000 fires, she said.
“That tells me that the values we have are certainly a positive,” said Sexton. “We think that it's time to take this to the board.”
By PERRY BACKUS of the Missoulian
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are hoping they have a fix to the controversy brewing over a land swap in the Bitterroot Valley.
FWP is working with a third party to acquire about 368 acres adjacent to the state lands being considered for trade to the J.R. Miller Ranch near Sula, said Mack Long, FWP Region 2 supervisor.
The land is just east of the Miller Ranch property and is currently surrounded by state and U.S. Forest Service lands.
The current proposal calls for the third party to acquire the property and hold it long enough for FWP to purchase it using Habitat Montana funds. FWP would then trade the property to the state's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in return for lands DNRC holds inside FWP's Calf Creek and Three Mile game ranges in the Bitterroot.
“This would really help with the access issue on state lands near the Miller Ranch,” said Long. “It would be a win-win for everybody.”
Long said FWP plans to ask the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission for authority to purchase the property from the third party at a meeting next week.
Habitat Montana monies are set aside to purchase property deemed critical for winter range and wildlife habitat.
“This proposal fits very well,” said Long. “We'd be spending our money to acquire more game range and the DNRC would secure public access into the future.”
“It's about as well-supported land exchange as I've ever been involved in, and I've been involved in a lot of them,” he said.
Long said it's important that both land exchanges occur.
“I'd hate to see one go and not the other,” he said. “They are meant to go together in order for them to work right.”
The J.R. Miller Ranch wants to trade 1,458 acres it owns north of Lincoln for 800 acres of state lands adjacent to its property near Sula. Miller had purchased the property from the Nature Conservancy with plans to trade it to the state.
The final approval for the land exchange is on the state Land Board's agenda for Jan. 17.
The trade is part of a larger transaction occurring between the Nature Conservancy, Blackfoot Challenge and Plum Creek Timber Co. The groups are negotiating to buy up to 88,000 acres of the timber company's land in and around the Blackfoot Valley.
So far, the groups have completed the sale on 43,000 acres. The groups have options on the remaining 45,000 acres that requires the Nature Conservancy to buy parcels in 2005, 2006, 2007.
In order for the Nature Conservancy to free up cash to meet the deadlines, it needs to dispose of the lands already purchased from Plum Creek, which include the lands purchased by Miller.
That trade has been mired in controversy after Bitterroot sportsmen, legislators and county officials raised a number of questions, including land values, public involvement and the potential loss of hunting opportunities.
On Wednesday, Ravalli County Attorney George Corn and Sen. Jim Schockley, R-Victor, said they want the state to slow down and take another look at the proposed exchange.
“There are just too many unanswered questions at this point,” Corn said. “It would be irresponsible to make a decision. ... We'd like to see it tabled for at least another month.”
Schockley said there are concerns about the appraised value of the state lands that Miller hopes to acquire.
“You can't give away state lands for less than they are worth,” Schockley said.
Both men were concerned that the FWP's deal might not come through.
“They're trying to cobble together a deal within a month. ... It's something that might work, but right now we don't have any guarantees,” said Corn. “They don't have anything in writing.”
DNRC Director Mary Sexton said the state has been working on the Miller exchange for two to three years and feels it's time to move forward.
Sexton said she understood the asking price for property sought by FWP was $2,500 an acre. The state had agreed to value Miller's property at $2,725 an acre, plus Miller had agreed to add $160,000, as well as an additional access.
Both properties have public access problems and both were burned over in the 2000 fires, she said.
“That tells me that the values we have are certainly a positive,” said Sexton. “We think that it's time to take this to the board.”
