MT county commissioners opposing RMEF land acquisition

[belly-deep]

Never been there but have no doubt it is prime habitat for elk. Do you know how long this property has been on the market with no interested buyers? Should we be fiscally prudent with our public dollars when buying properties like this?

I know of numerous checkerboard sections of prime elk habitat property in Missoula County that RMEF could purchase at a quarter to a third of the price per acre that this Meagher County property is listed at, and would get complete support by the county commissioners. Should they look into a purchase like this instead?

If you add in the public acreage that is currently landlocked and will be opened up, is it still a bad deal?

 

[BigHornRam]

If you add in the public acreage that is currently landlocked and will be opened up, is it still a bad deal?

The problem I have with all this is when a landowner denies access to their private property, we appraise that property at a much higher value then when a landowner allows public access. Then we scratch our wooden heads and wonder why people like the Wilkes don't allow public access. By paying ridiculous land prices we continue to reward this kind of activity.

I am living in dream world, I know.

 

[----]

Checkerboard I was thinking of is this

https://www.seeleylake.com/photos/big/4003/12

and it looks like it has LWCF funding in place pending appraisal to be purchased by the USFS.

Plenty more sections of non checkerboard land that is not spoken for however.

Like?

I'm not being purposefully disagreeable or obstinate, I'm genuinely curious as I feel like access in this part of the state is in a really good spot right now, thanks to the work of TNC especially.

Now, getting elk in that elk habitat is a whole different story...

 

[BigHornRam]

Like?

I'm not being purposefully disagreeable or obstinate, I'm genuinely curious as I feel like access in this part of the state is in a really good spot right now, thanks to the work of TNC especially.

Now, getting elk in that elk habitat is a whole different story...

TNC is not going to hold on to this land forever, and they have been amazingly generous to this point. Look at the map provided. The parcels marked Community Forest and BLM are not funded yet. Good project for RMEF?

True. Getting an elk out of this country requires some effort. It is steep public access elk hunting after all. I saw a dandy bull across the river chasing cows last year in about the most ugly spot imaginable. How long do you think it will take if the ranch in question goes public, before you hear non stop complaints about how crowded the hunting is there?