Montana

Land Board approves 33,000-acre conservation easement in northwest Montana

Published

1 year ago

December 17, 2024

Land Board approves 33,000-acre conservation easement in northwest Montana

A proposal to put nearly 33,000 acres of working forestland in northwest Montana into a conservation easement has cleared its last major hurdle.

In a 3-1 vote on Monday, the Montana Land Board adopted language amending an agreement between timber company Green Diamond and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks that closes the book on a conservation project that took four years and nearly $40 million to finalize.

The Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement is located between Kalispell and Libby and encompasses parts of the Salish and Cabinet mountains. The roughly 33,000 acres of land will be protected from development to support wildlife habitat and “key landscape connectivity,” according to FWP.

An FWP memo on the project says the easement also provides “permanent free public recreation access” to the enrolled lands while sustaining their use as a working forest.

The U.S. Forest Service’s Montana Forest Legacy Program is putting $20 million toward the easement. Habitat Montana, a fund administered by FWP, is contributing $1.5 million, and the Trust for Public Lands coordinated another $4.2 million of financial support for the project. Finally, Green Diamond is donating about $14 million of the land’s value.

The easement is perpetual, meaning the terms of the agreement will remain in effect indefinitely, even if Green Diamond later sells the land.

In addition to supporting long-term timber harvest, the easement will confer tax benefits to Green Diamond, which owns and manages working forests in nine states throughout the southern and western U.S. According to a FAQ on the easement, Green Diamond will continue to pay local property taxes in Lincoln, Sanders and Flathead counties once the easement is recorded.

The easement faced a tumultuous path to adoption. When the Land Board first voted on it in October, WRH Nevada Properties, which owns the mineral estate beneath approximately half of the 33,000 acres, argued that the easement jeopardized its ability to develop the subsurface mineral estate.

The Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement is being developed as a two-phase project that will conserve nearly 83,000 acres of northwest Montana that span three counties. Credit: Courtesy Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Peter Scott, an attorney representing WRH and Citizens for Balanced Use, argued before the Land Board on Oct. 21 that the board would be ill-advised to authorize the easement while a lawsuit over it is pending, and given that ground-disturbing activities are “not compatible” with the Montana Forest Legacy Program’s purpose.

“The folks that fund mineral exploration are not looking for conservation easements as part of their program,” Scott said. “In fact, they’re leaving and taking their mineral exploration money elsewhere. From their standpoint, Montana is not open for business in the context of mineral exploration.”

To help alleviate that concern, the board voted in October to draft language recognizing its intention to protect the mineral rights holders’ ability to access and develop their mineral rights within the easement’s bounds.

The board’s 3-1 vote effectively alters the easement to read that the mineral rights holders “shall not be infringed upon.” The mineral rights holder will retain the ability to “enter and use the [conserved land] for exploration, recovery and development of the minerals consistent with state law,” per the language adopted by the board.

State Superintendent and Land Board member Elsie Arntzen opposed a final vote on the easement, arguing that more discussion is needed and indicating that the state Legislature, which is set to gavel in for its biennial session next month, may be inclined to weigh in. She sought to postpone final action until at least the spring, a delay Gov. Greg Gianforte did not support for fear it would compromise the Forest Service’s $20 million contribution to the easement.

Habitat conservation in Montana undergoing a ‘sea change’

When Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks quietly unveiled a proposal to put Habitat Montana funds toward 30- and 40-year conservation leases, proponents described it as a “new conservation planning tool” while opponents warned of a “sea change” that could weaken one of the state’s most popular habitat protection programs.

“The staff worked with all of the concerned parties to get language that was agreeable. For us to make additional changes here, without consultation with all of the parties, would put us in a difficult position,” Gianforte said, adding that Arntzen had effectively missed her window to oppose the easement writ large.

“At this point, the easement has been approved, subject to this language,” Gianforte continued. “I feel a strong compunction to honor the local consensus which has been built around this, which I think is reflected in this modified language.”

Arntzen also attempted to issue a “no” vote by proxy for Montana Attorney General and Land Board member Austin Knudsen. Gianforte, who chairs the Land Board, said only members who are actively present can vote.

Gianforte also struck down an amendment offered by Secretary of State and Land Board member Christi Jacobsen to make the easement subject to a 99-year term rather than perpetual.

The easement “has been granted, has been finalized,” Gianforte said. “So I would rule your amendment out of order.”

A variety of conservation and forestry-oriented organizations support the easement, arguing that it contributes to conservation and recreational objectives, and supports local economies reliant on forestry by facilitating access to a long-term timber supply. Those groups include Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Wildlife Federation, Trust for Public Land, Montana Wood Products Association, Montana Logging Association,Stimson Lumber and FH Stoltze Land & Lumber.

A trio of current and former elected officials opposed the easement in a letter to the Land Board, arguing that more due diligence should have been done to assess the prevalence of subsurface minerals and communicate with WRH about the project. A letter signed by Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Libby; Sen. Dan Bartel, R-Lewistown; and Kerry White, a former state representative from Bozeman who now leads Citizens for Balanced Use, a nearly 20-year-old nonprofit that calls for more motorized recreation and resource development on public land.

The second stage of the Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement is still in development. It’s estimated to top 52,000 acres to the west and south of the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge.

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Montana

Evacuation orders issued as 5,000-acre wildfire burns near Roundup, Montana

Published

4 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Evacuation orders issued as 5,000-acre wildfire burns near Roundup, Montana

ROUNDUP, Mont. —
The Rehder Creek Fire is burning 16 miles southeast of Roundup has grown to about 5,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision.

The fire started Feb. 26, the cause is unknown and containment was at 0%.

Evacuation orders are in effect for all residents in the Bruner Mountain Area/Subdivision. The Musselshell County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating the evacuation orders, and 911 reverse calls have been sent out to advise people in the area.

A shelter is opening at the Roundup Community Center. Residents were told to contact Musselshell County DES for further information.

Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The public is asked to avoid the Fattig Creek and Rehder Road area so emergency personnel can safely and effectively perform their work.

Fire resources assigned to the incident include 40 total personnel, 11 engines, one Type 2 helicopter, three tenders and two dozers.

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Montana

February 26 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

February 26 recap: Missoula and Western Montana news you may have missed today

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Montana

Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Escobar, Jayapal, Members of Congress Call on Camp East Montana to be Shut Down – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) – joined by Representative Pramila Jayapal, the Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, and 22 other Members of Congress – sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons calling for the immediate closure of Camp East Montana in El Paso. They cite urgent humanitarian concerns following multiple deaths in custody, documented unsafe conditions, and serious deficiencies in medical care.

This marks the fourth letter Congresswoman Escobar has sent to DHS and ICE leadership. The previous three letters have gone unanswered.

The letter can be found in its entirety below and here.

“Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons:

We are urgently calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to shut down Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas.

Camp East Montana has been operational for six months, and at least three people have died at the site since December 2025: Francisco Gaspar-Andres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Victor Manuel Diaz. The El Paso County Medical Examiner has officially ruled Lunas Campos’ death a homicide, citing “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression.”

Camp East Montana was constructed in a matter of weeks and opened before construction was complete and it does not have enough federal staff on-site to provide adequate oversight. Over the last several months, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, in whose district this facility is located, has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE regarding concerns about the conditions at Camp East Montana, and has received no responses.

According to detainees, there have been constant and consistent problems at the facility since it opened, beginning with the facility’s poor construction and poor ambient temperature control. Upon opening, the drinking water at Camp East Montana tasted foul and made some detainees sick. Detainees continue to be served inadequate meals, including food that is rotten or frozen; last fall, the facility was also consistently failing to make dietary accommodations for detainees. Detainees have shared that they have sporadic access to outside spaces and recreational areas, and that their dormitory pods are cleaned only once every eight days, despite pods housing up to 72 people at a time. Laundry services are not consistent, and people are washing their clothes in the facility showers. Additionally, the facility experiences flooding and sewage backups when it rains, leading to stagnant water.

One of the biggest concerns with the Camp East Montana facility is the inadequate medical care being provided to detainees. Our offices have heard that only the most ill detainees are referred to the medical unit and that there are inconsistencies as to how soon after arriving detainees are able to undergo initial medical screenings. Detainees with chronic health issues who rely on regimented medications for their health have had difficulty accessing necessary medications, including blood pressure medication and insulin.

At least one of the deaths that occurred in ICE custody, the death of Francisco Gaspar-Andres, appears to partially be the result of poor medical care by staff at the facility. According to ICE’s own account, Gaspar-Andres sought medical attention from facility staff for increasingly serious symptoms, but was only transferred to an area hospital once his condition had severely deteriorated.

In addition to our concerns about poor medical care, we are also aware that detainees have experienced irregular access to their legal counsel, including instances of detainees having only two minutes allotted per phone call every 8 days, which is contrary to ICE’s Detention Standards on access to counsel, and that the belatedly created law library lacks adequate resources for the amount of people currently held at the facility. In January 2026, ICE announced the on-site death of Geraldo Lunas Campos “after experiencing medical distress.” ICE opened an investigation into the death, but did not provide a cause of death. However, The Washington Post later reported that another man detained at Camp East Montana had witnessed guards choking Lunas Campos when he refused to enter a segregated housing unit. Weeks later, the El Paso County Medical Examiner ruled that Lunas Campos had experienced “asphyxia due to neck and torso compression” and ruled his death a homicide.

Lunas Campos is the first detainee to die at Camp East Montana as a result of a use-of-force incident, but we are strongly concerned that he will not be the last if ICE is allowed to continue operating Camp East Montana.

ICE was given $45 billion in taxpayer dollars in the reconciliation bill, $1.2 billion of which were awarded to Acquisition Logistics, LLC, a company with no previous experience managing immigration detention facilities, to build and oversee Camp East Montana. However, in the wake of three deaths in custody so far, continued concerns about conditions at the facility, and ICE’s apparent disinterest in responding to oversight letters from Congress, we do not believe Camp East Montana is being run professionally or responsibly.

Camp East Montana must be shut down. For the safety of everyone at the facility, for an end to abuses to detainees, and for fiscal responsibility to the American people, the site cannot continue to operate. We are calling on DHS and ICE to move to immediately close operations at Camp East Montana.

We look forward to hearing from the Department promptly on this matter.

The other co-signers include Representatives Yassamin Ansari, Nanette Barragán, Yvette Clarke, Lloyd Doggett, Maxwell Frost, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Henry Johnson, Stephen Lynch, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Darren Soto, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Lauren Underwood, Gabe Vasquez, and Nydia Velázquez.

Issues: Immigration

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