MT Great Outdoors Conservation Easement approved by 3-2 Vote. Guess who voted No

[INMT]

With overwhelming support from the Montana Wood Products Association, Stoltze Land and Lumber Company, the Lincoln County Commissioners, Stimson Lumber Company, the Senate Republicans of the Montana Legislature group, RMEF, and others, Attorney General Austin Knudsen still votes NO. His reason, "I just simply don’t personally philosophically like the idea of a forever, forever, forever conservation easement … Forever is a long time.” Sounds like he wants a new owner to be able to purchase the land and be able to develop it down the road.

Knudsen is voting against continuing sustainable timber harvest, keeping loggers, log trucks and mills in operation, securing hunting, fishing, and recreation in an area under tremendous development pressure. This is an area I have hunted and recreated in for going on 20 years so it is deeply personal.

Since Southern Pines Plantation purchased most of Weyerhauser's land, they have sold 475,000 acres. 291,000 were purchased by Green Diamond Resources (some of which are included in the easement), and another 184,000 acres have been sold to private individuals. Without collaborations such as this easement, we are at risk of losing access to lands that have been used for generations.

Reading the current post: "Extreme Hunting Pressure In Region 7" and all the comments associated with it, it is ever more important to conserve as much habitat as we can in Northwest Montana. Without doing so, there's not a chance in hell for deer and elk numbers to improve. Habitat loss and development do not bode well for wildlife. I've personally seen Mule Deer numbers improve in areas in and around this easement in the last 15 years. And I'd like that to be able to continue.

Your vote does matter this coming November. I didn't know much about the Land Board, or the power they hold until the past few years. I certainly will not be voting to reelect AG Knudsen. This seems like an office straight party line voters could stomach voting out a guy who is anti public lands and anti conservation easements without sacrificing their values.

Land Board Grants Tentative Approval of Conservation Easement to Protect Northwest Montana Timberland - Flathead Beacon

Former Lincoln County Commissioner Mark Peck doesn’t have to look far to imagine the future of northwest Montana’s working forests if the state land board doesn’t grant final approval of a conservation easement between Kalispell and Libby, precluding development and protecting public access on...

flatheadbeacon.com

In Northwest Montana, Private Timber is Betting the Forest on Public Access Protection - Flathead Beacon

On a bright October morning west of Marion, from a viewpoint along a forested county road corridor interspersed with commercial real estate signs, Neil Anderson surveyed the north slope of Dredger Ridge, a favorite walk-in elk hunting area for generations of Montanans. Widely known as the most...

flatheadbeacon.com

 

[ismith]

Knudsen Is a dumbass.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Glad to see this passed. I can’t imagine the state of recreation in that part of MT if access to this area wasn’t protected.

 

[Ben Lamb]

It's a fantastic easement and this is just the first part of the project. The whole deal is over 85,000 acres. The Flathead/Lincoln/Sanders county delegation all supported it, as do the majority of hunting organizations, timber groups, etc.

The only opposition came from WRH and Citizens for Balanced Use, which is who sued to stop this Conservation Easement from moving forward. Both of those groups were trying to stop CE's for no real reason since the mineral rights issue is already settled in statute. It's a significant attack on a public access program, and some easements that keep timber lands intact for everyone, including hunters and sawyers.

 

[sapperJ24]

Semi annual reminder that Knudsen would rather see subdivisions and ranchettes than areas protected with a conservation easment or outright acquired.

 

[huntin24/7]

He’s a joke. It’s funny hearing what people from his hometown say about him.

 

[Nameless Range]

The only opposition came from WRH and Citizens for Balanced Use, which is who sued to stop this Conservation Easement from moving forward. Both of those groups were trying to stop CE's for no real reason since the mineral rights issue is already settled in statute. It's a significant attack on a public access program, and some easements that keep timber lands intact for everyone, including hunters and sawyers.

Kerry White seems to leverage CBU as a tool to either support or oppose his own personal whims. They are an organization without principles.

I’ve been in some meetings with him in the last few years. Very professional when he needs to be, but a chameleon dependent on the crowd and often a liar. It’s a shame he has the pull he has, but they are a product of his skills.

Think of all the conservation opportunities Montanans will miss out on if Knudsen runs and prevails in four years. The reduction of that outcome alone is a reason I entertain CI-126

 

[perma]

Man you guys in MT got some problems.

 

[BRI]

Awesome that it passed. I sure hope people remember this in 4 years when that turd runs for governor. Our state will be much better off when he's out of politics.