Conservation easement protects acreage along Stillwater

A conservation easement along the Stillwater River near Olney will permanently protect 1,072 acres surrounded by Flathead National Forest and Montana state forests.

The property will remain a working forest, but will be protected from future development in an agreement involving F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Company and the Flathead Land Trust. The Trust for Public Land was responsible for negotiating the agreement.

The property is located between Upper Stillwater and Lower Stillwater lakes on the west side of U.S. Highway 93.

Paul Travis, Executive Director of the Flathead Land Trust, said the land was donated with the stipulation that it be for conservation purposes and the trust is proud to be a partner in the project as the local community land trust holding the easement.

“It’s one of the last pieces of private land in that area,” Travis said. “The conservation easement protects open space, public access and wildlife habitat while also allowing for sustainable timber management.”

The property’s proximity to forest service and state land also means it's an important connection in terms of access to other public lands, Travis noted.

This property was donated to The Trust for Public Land in 2017 by Cindy and Alan Horn. TPL was responsible for securing and negotiating the terms of the conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust which will limit commercial, industrial, or residential development on the property while securing permanently public recreation access.

Conservation easements like this one protect wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities while also allowing for sustainable forestry, which is vital to the region’s economy, according to TPL.

Stoltze will own and manage the property, while the Flathead Land Trust holds the conservation easement.

Paul McKenzie, Vice President and General Manager of Stoltze, said the company was familiar with the property and by purchasing it at a reduced price as a result of the conservation easement, it’s beneficial to the company to add it to its land holdings, but also fits with the goals of the company for long-term sustainable forest management.

“The property is a good fit for us and it’s a benefit to keep it as an active, managed forest,” McKenzie said. “Conservation easements allow for long-term timber management, but also allow for balancing uses on those lands.”

This is the third project Stoltze has worked with The Trust For Public Land on and the first for working with Flathead Land Trust.

About 11,000 acres of Stoltze property is under conservation easements. The Haskill Basin and Trumbull Creek conservation easements previously completed total about 10,000 acres.

The Trust for Public Land since 2000 has protected hundreds of thousands of acres in Montana. In addition to Haskill Basin and Trumbull Creek, some of those projects include, Montana Legacy Project and the Kootenai Forestlands Conservation Project.

“This project is just one chapter in our long history of conserving working forests in Montana,” said Dick Dolan, Northern Rockies Regional Director for The Trust for Public Land, said of the Stillwater easement. "We are proud to be able to preserve some of the region’s most special places for outdoor recreation, while also ensuring the health and continuity of sustainable forestry. This project would not have been possible without the support of our exceptional partners.”