$2 million grant boosts Haskill land deal

The effort to purchase a conservation easement in Haskill Basin near Whitefish has received a big boost.

Gov. Steve Bullock announced Tuesday that the state has been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to aide in the acquisition of the easement.

Nearly $8 million is needed for a land deal that is intended to permanently protect more than 3,000 acres of working forestland in Haskill Basin, the main source of Whitefish’s water supply.

The Trust for Public Land has secured an option to purchase the development rights on the land from Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. through the end of 2015.

The overall purchase was expected to cost $20.6 million, but Stoltze agreed to contribute $4 million to the project, while the Forest Service is expected to provide a $7 million grant and the $2 million grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was expected.

The easement is considered a habitat conservation measure for grizzly bears and Canada lynx.

“I’m pleased that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes that collaborative efforts in Montana work,” Bullock said in a prepared statement. “We continue to find new and innovative ways to protect our wildlife and wild places, while also protecting our economy and quality of life, because we all work together.”

The grant was issued through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.