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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:Greg Poncin, Kalispell Unit Manager
Montana Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation
(406) 751-2263
June 2, 2008
DNRC schedules meeting on proposed land sale
KALISPELL, Mont. – Public comment indicates support for maintaining a 440-acre parcel of State School Trust Land as open space for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. Now it's time for community leaders to roll up their sleeves and develop a plan that will satisfy local interests and also support the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's Trust Lands mission, said Greg Poncin, Kalispell Unit Manager for the Montana DNRC.
Mary Sexton, DNRC Director, noted, "For the Woods Bay parcel, the best use of the property from a value perspective doesn't reflect the community's preference as far as future land use. The next step is for DNRC and the community to discuss options that work for both parties."
A public meeting on the Woods Bay parcel is scheduled for June 12, 2008, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bethany Lutheran Church, located at 8559 Highway 35 in Bigfork, Mont.
The meeting will open with a discussion of DNRC's Trust Lands Division and the Land Banking program. "We have to be able to manage the land to produce revenue for Trust beneficiaries," Poncin said. "We can't fulfill our mission with this piece of land, and that's what makes it a candidate for Land Banking."
Access limitations have prevented DNRC from managing the Woods Bay property and fulfilling its stewardship responsibilities, Poncin said. That includes controlling recreation activities and noxious weeds, as well as forest management activities, including wildfire mitigation.
"We would use the revenue from the sale of this parcel to acquire other land in the region," Poncin added.
The remainder of the meeting will be devoted to exploring alternatives to Land Banking, Poncin said. "There are successful models of community-based land acquisition and preservation around Montana, and we'll talk about some of these," he said. "And we want people to come forward with their own ideas."
###DNRC###
John Grassy
Public Information Officer
Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
(406) 444-0465
