Local conservation projects rank high nationally

SANDPOINT — Two proposals to protect sprawling tracts of forest land from development in the Panhandle have ranked as high priorities for federal funding.

The projects — Hall Mountain in Boundary County and Clagstone Meadows in Bonner County — are being considered for conservation easements under the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program.

“This is a wonderful alternative to what a lot of people, I think, see as inevitable — these lands get developed. It’s really, really important that we continue to fight to conserve our most precious working forests and recreation lands,” said Deb Love of the Trust for Public Land, which is working with Stimson Lumber Co. on the proposed Clagstone Meadows conservation easement.

The Hall Mountain project is ranked second nationwide for funding under the Forest Legacy Program and Clagstone Meadows is ranked sixth. A U.S. Department of Agriculture budget justification for 2015 proposes $2.7 million in funding for Hall Mountain and $5.5 million for Clagstone Meadows.

Local matching funds will have to be raised to purchase the Clagstone conservation easement, which would preserve the property as working forest land and spare it from development in perpetuity.

Although the funding is anything but guaranteed, the projects’ lofty rankings place them in a good position.

“Even if Congress cut back significantly on the overall Forest Legacy appropriations, we still feel pretty good on its ranking,” Love said of Clagstone’s position.

In 2010, Stimson obtained conceptual approval from Bonner County to develop a 1,200-unit housing development at Clagstone Meadows. It would be the largest development — 12,442 acres — in Bonner County and the second-most dense behind Schweitzer Mountain.

The proposal drew strong opposition from neighboring landowners because it would effectively create a new resort city in a pristine rural area. It would also be located amid a constellation of high-value wetlands and two small lakes that serve as headwaters for the already troubled Hoodoo Creek.

But as the white-hot real estate market in the Panhandle cooled, Stimson began considering a conservation easement, which would enable the company to continue managing the land for sustainable timber production and open parts of it to non-motorized public access.

“We started talking about that idea and, honestly, until about a year ago it really didn’t have much traction because all of the conservation easements have to rank nationally to be competitive for Forest Legacy funding,” said Ray Jones, vice president of resources for Stimson.

However, Stimson’s belief that the property fit neatly with the goals of the Forest Legacy program was not off-target, as evidenced by its high ranking.

Although Stimson is not walking away from its development plans in case the easement falls through, Jones is hopeful that the land can be preserved for timber production.

“Keeping working forests working forests really aligns with the company and who we are and what we do,” said Jones, adding that wetlands enhancements will likely be a facet of a stewardship plan.

Karen Sjoquist, coordinator for the Forest Legacy Program for the Idaho Department of Lands, took an aerial tour of Clagstone Meadows and attests to Stimson’s careful management of the forest.

“Stimson does a fantastic job managing that forest,” she said. “It was impressive. It was a good example of a sustainably managed forest, how it can be done well and how well it fits into the landscape.”

Love, the northern Rockies director of the Trust for Public Land, concedes that raising the additional funding needed to purchase will be a challenge. It’s estimated that another $4 million will be needed to purchase the easement, even with Stimson discounting the total cost by 25 percent.

“To effectively give up a quarter of the purchase price means that they have skin in the game, too,” said Love.

Although funding remains a challenge, there is also plenty of justifiable hope that it can be secured through public agencies and private entities.

“This will help leverage other funds, so this is huge,” said Susan Drumheller of the Idaho Conservation League in Sandpoint. “It’s a lot harder to raise money if you don’t already have a huge commitment — $5 1/2 million will help motivate others.”

Neighboring landowners are also excited by the prospect of a conservation easement.

Janice Abel said she worried about the development’s potential impact on Granite and Kelso lakes, in addition to impacts to the area’s stingy water well production and abundant wildlife. Abel said she has seen black bear, moose and heron frequenting the property, and had a memorable close encounter with an ermine while resting during a cross-country ski jaunt.

“It’s a wonderful place to go wandering around. It’s more remarkable in many ways than Farragut (State Park). It doesn’t have the large lake, but it has so many different features,” she said.

Abel said she is holding out hope that funding can ultimately be secured.

“It’s not a sure thing, but it sounds very promising,” she said. “I’m just thrilled that Stimson is looking at it.”