On Friday, the Fish and Game Commission unanimously approved the first phase of the Upper Thompson Conservation Easement, setting aside tens of thousands of acres of Northwest Montana forestland for timber, public recreation and wildlife.
The easement contains more than 34,600 acres in the Thompson River drainage, north of Thompson Falls and Plains.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will hold the easement for Green Diamond Resource Company, a forest products company that owns the land and has set up a number of similar easements in the area.
The land will stay a working forest, meaning Green Diamond will log and manage the timber. The project permanently guarantees public access to the land for recreation and will conserve key wildlife habitat along the Cabinet Mountains.
This is the first part of a two-phase project, which aims to conserve nearly 48,000 acres total.
At the meeting, commissioners highlighted the sheer amount of public support the project received, both with speakers and in public comments submitted to FWP.
