Mullan Pass Easement under review
Source: Great Falls Tribune, by Michael Babcock
September 18, 2007
The joint federal-state board of the Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation Trust will meet Tuesday in Helena to review the Mullan Pass Conservation Easement.
The project, which was initiated by the Prickly Pear Land Trust, would place a conservation easement on 1,565 acres of private ranch land that has been in the same family since it was homesteaded in 1865.
The property is located a mile west of the Continental Divide near Mullan Pass in the Dog and Uncle George creek drainages.
Ronald and Yvonne Schatz own the land.
Tuesday's meeting begins at 10 a.m. at Fish, Wildlife & Parks headquarters, 1420 6th Ave., in Helena.
The trust would contribute $100,000 to the total project cost of $276,300.
The easement would protect wildlife habitat, open space, public access to public lands and public recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.
It is within a mix of federal and state lands that are habitat rich for elk calving areas, moose and beaver. The project also would maintain a connectivity corridor for grizzly bears, gray wolf and lynx.
The easement also protects five miles of riparian areas, which would result in improved water quality and fish habitat for the resident west slope cutthroat trout.
The conservation easement also would protect public access to adjacent U.S. Forest Service and state lands and Bureau of Land Management lands.
The Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation Trust was established by the U.S. Congress and funded by proceeds from the sale of federally leased cabin sites on Canyon Ferry Reservoir.
The trust has provided $2,626,000 for projects during the past four years. Its purpose is to provide a permanent source of funding for the acquisition of publicly accessible land in the state of Montana in order to:
Restore and conserve fisheries habitat, including riparian habitat;
Restore and conserve wildlife habitat;
Enhance public hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities; and
Improve public access to public lands.
Two independent oversight boards, the Joint Federal-State Board and the Citizens Advisory Board, are responsible for ensuring that the goals of the trust are met.
Board meetings are open to the public.
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