Heavily logged area could heal to be become economically and ecological important-
$14M, 41,000-acre land deal could create second-largest Montana state park. ByRob Chaney. Missoulian |
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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TNC purchased the land from Plum Creek Timber Company last year; it is located south of I-90 on the east slope of the Bitterroots. It provides for a possible link between the Bob Marshall and Mission wilderness areas to the NE and the proposed Big Burn wilderness on the ID-MT border. The total transaction is 41,000 acres of which the state hopes to develop a 6864 acre park a few miles south of Alberton. The price is about $2.5-3 million from the state of Montana and $11 million from federal funds. Is the remaining acerage being added to the states forest lands?
Who owns this lumber company?, just a thought.
Plum Creek. A left over from the public lands giveaway to get the west settled; build x number of miles of RR and you will be given (?) sections of land as payment.
This policy resulted in the “checkerboard ” private and US ownership in much of the western landscapes
It is good to see it back in public ownership after the giant Northern Pacific Railroad land grant giveaway of 1862.