UPDATE: Weyerhaeuser --> Southern Pine Plantation... No Trespassing.

[Sytes]

Edited Update as of 12:45 mst. 04/30.

I lucked with some great contacts and up the chain from Weyerhaeuser on through to a call direct from Southern Plantations.

It's closed to public access.

He was open to my concerns / disappointment and shared his/their position. By the end, it makes sense whether I like it or not.
I appreciated his direct conversation with me.

While the newspapers shared one aspect they didn't share (or limited portions) for the entire discussions as he was one of the main people quoted in MT papers.

Plum Creek, Weyerhaeuser and now themselves have all sold portions of land and never said they would not. It's part of business. While this portion happens to be one sold, the vast majority of their land has been entered into block management for public use.

It's not for multi real estate development. The parcel was sold directly to a private owner who's building his home on the property.
They've allowed me access to set up my daughter and her friend a cache event / camp and provided a direct line to communicate future interests however, hunting is no longer available.

It was a cordial conversation though the conclusion is, it's been sold to a private owner (not company) and is no longer available for public use.

**********

Well, I didn't think this would happen though it has...

An attorney for Southern Pine Plantation told the Flathead Beacon the timberland investment company is buying the land and has no plans to change Weyerhaeuser’s long-standing practices related to public access, forest management, grazing, existing outfitting agreements and conservation easements.

James Bowditch, the company’s legal counsel, said they felt it was in the public interest to “provide this assurance to concerned Montanans.”

Well. I had set to prepare a camp for my daughter and her friend this Friday evening w/ a geo-cache hunt for a $25 g/c to the theatres once they re-open.

Ran into this...

Wow. Didn't think it would happen though... Whitefish Lazy Creek area. Gone. This has been open to the public since... Well, since beyond my knowledge. Hunted for a long while.

 

[Ben Long]

Damn.

 

[Ben Long]

Just left you a direct message.

 

[come2elmo]

Maybe to protect concerned Montanans from the Covid that is known by the state of California to inhabit that area?

 

[Sytes]

Hopefully for the majority of former Plum Creek ---> Weyerhaeuser ---> Southern Pine Plantation public access this is the exception to their "...assurance to Montanans".
A pretty decent swath of accessible land, no more. Is what it is for my area.

*Prepping our horses using this land.



It's private property and their right to do as they legally please and I respect that though a huge blow for myself and others who've enjoyed the access.

Something about real estate intent is what I'm gathering.
A good quantity of electrical boxes were placed along the road dividing Weyerhaeuser and McMahon during the transition from Weyerhaeuser to Southern Pine Plantation though I figured they belonged to McMahon Real Estate land. Another person I've spoken with that held involvement shared it's a mix between the two owners.

*Taken yesterday from the camera location marker


This gated road onto former Weyerhaeuser land had a motorized vehicle restriction sign, access by non motorized only. My wife's family and I've hunted, explored this and adjoining areas since... Well, it's been multigenerational on my wife's side.

When I spoke with my father in law he shared it was only a matter of time. When public accessible land shifts hand enough, the "assurance to Montanans" gets diluted and public access erodes. He's disappointed though figured it would happen eventually.



Coming to a former Plum Creek land of yours?

 

[BuzzH]

Hopefully for the majority of former Plum Creek ---> Weyerhaeuser ---> Southern Pine Plantation public access this is the exception to their "...assurance to Montanans".
A pretty decent swath of accessible land, no more. Is what it is for my area.

*Prepping our horses using this land.

View attachment 138587

It's private property and their right to do as they legally please and I respect that though a huge blow for myself and others who've enjoyed the access.

Something about real estate intent is what I'm gathering.
A good quantity of electrical boxes were placed along the road dividing Weyerhaeuser and McMahon during the transition from Weyerhaeuser to Southern Pine Plantation though I figured they belonged to McMahon Real Estate land. Another person I've spoken with that held involvement shared it's a mix between the two owners.

*Taken yesterday from the camera location marker
View attachment 138582

This gated road onto former Weyerhaeuser land had a motorized vehicle restriction sign, access by non motorized only. My wife's family and I've hunted, explored this and adjoining areas since... Well, it's been multigenerational on my wife's side.

When I spoke with my father in law he shared it was only a matter of time. When public accessible land shifts hand enough, the "assurance to Montanans" gets diluted and public access erodes. He's disappointed though figured it would happen eventually.

View attachment 138586

Coming to a former Plum Creek land of yours?

No, its not coming to former plum creek land near where I hunt because the Nature Conservancy became involved...

Yet, some still bash TNC non-stop.

 

[Sytes]

I have been, still am, and will continue my financial support of The Nature Conservancy.
I bought land adjoining TNC in the Eureka area for the sole purpose, I'll always have a quality backyard.
Hunted elk on their land via invite from another HT member for access through his land to reach TNC. Great work by TNC.
(Especially their stance of thinning)

The Nature Conservancy in Montana

Learn about nature conservation in Montana, including environmental issues and resources from The Nature Conservancy.

www.nature.org

 

[Sytes]

As updated in the original post to assure it's viewed for those concerned w/ public access lost:

I lucked with some great contacts and up the chain from Weyerhaeuser on through to a call direct from Southern Plantations.

It's closed to public access.

He was open to my concerns / disappointment and shared his/their position. By the end, it makes sense whether I like it or not.
I appreciated his direct conversation with me.

While the newspapers shared one aspect they didn't share (or limited portions) for the entire discussions as he was one of the main people quoted in MT papers.
Plum Creek, Weyerhaeuser and now themselves have all sold portions of land and never said they would not. It's part of business. While this portion happens to be one sold, the vast majority of their land has been entered into block management for public use.

It's not for multi real estate development. The parcel was sold directly to a private owner who's building his home on the property.
They've allowed me access to set up my daughter and her friend a cache event / camp and provided a direct line to communicate future interests however, hunting is no longer available.

It was a cordial conversation though the conclusion is, it's been sold to a private owner (not company) and is no longer available for public use.

 

[BuzzH]

Its not personal, its just business.

 

[Fishhead]

This was adjacent to and south of the Whitefish Lake Watershed Project totalling 13, 398 acres. Trust For Public Lands bought 10,000 acres from Weyerhauser, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) bought the remaining acreage. Fish, Wildlife and Parks picked up a conservation easement on the TPL lands, then DNRC bought the land from TPL. BPA kept a conservation easement on its acreage, DNRC also bought those lands. DNRC is managing the lands for revenue, there was some logging over the last year. But the land is in public ownership with public access. I hunted one road last year, there were tracks of other hunters, coyotes, wolves, a mountain lion and a grizzly bear. There were even some whitetail deer tracks.
Weyerhauser retained a number of sections to the north of Whitefish Lake. That's where these tracts are located, according to Montana Cadastral about 2/3 of the land has already been sold.
Plum Creek, and then Weyerhauser, always had land for sale if approached with the right deal. There is a 7 mile long road near Swan Lake that leads to USFS property. Weyerhauser sold a lot about half way up that straddles the road, the new owner has blocked the road. Apparently Weyerhauser made no provisions for public access through the tract. That's business.
Southern Pines got bargain basement prices on the lands they bought, let's hope they hold on long enough to let some agencies and organizations like TNC and TPL to put together some packages for fee title or conservation easements.

 

[diamond hitch]

I watched a lot of that mess play out with Plum Creek. Their management evidently decided not to be a timber company 30 years ago. Many areas in Sanders and Mineral counties were stripped of the last vestige of merchantable wood and they walked away. When Anaconda had it the harvest was select cutting greater than 18". Plum creek was any stick will do. I did a conservation easement for fwp on the Thompson river country. If Plum creek hadn't been making money off of building stone it likely would have gone the same way. The last conservation easement I did for RMEF was out of Lolo 6-8 years ago and similar trends were happening on Plum creek sold land. I fear this is not the beginning nor the end. In many of the areas formerly held by Plum creek they were so butchered there isn't much need to visit for the next 50 years or so.