(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Latest Crazies land exchange proposal still inadequate – Daily Montanan [1] ['More From Author', 'October', 'Maddy Munson'] Date: 2023-10-24 The Forest Service is in the final stage of deciding on a land exchange proposal first submitted to the agency by a stakeholder group in 2021. The proposal would consolidate private and public lands in the Crazy Mountains, where a checkerboard of public and private ownership has complicated management of the range. The proposal would also address access disputes that have plagued the range for decades. Wild Montana has followed this proposal from the beginning. While we support consolidation and better access in the Crazies, we have all along advocated for strengthening the proposal’s conservation aspects so the exchange would not result in the development of habitat-rich public lands transferred into private ownership. Since last fall, when the Forest Service released the first draft and analysis, the agency has addressed some of our concerns by providing a more thorough analysis and adding a few modifications. But the latest draft of the proposal released a few weeks ago still leaves the door wide open for commercial and residential development that could fundamentally undermine the wild character of the Crazies and degrade the wildlife habitat on the eastern flanks of the range. The latest, modified proposal would result in the Forest Service acquiring 6,110 acres of private land in exchange for 3,855 acres of public land, primarily in the Crazy Mountains and some small sections near Big Sky. It would also allow the Yellowstone Club to finance the construction of a new 22-mile trail from Halfmoon Campground to the upper sections of the Sweetgrass Trail called the “Sweet Trunk Trail.” This new trail would replace the relinquished East Trunk Trail and sections of the Sweetgrass Trail, limiting all public access on the east side of the range to a single trailhead on Big Timber Creek at Halfmoon Campground. In response to concerns that we and many others have about development in the Crazies, the Forest Service added specific deed restrictions to four parcels in Sweetgrass Canyon, prohibiting mineral development on them and limiting the subdivision of the parcels to a minimum of 160 acres. But these restrictions don’t go far enough in providing protections against residential and commercial development, which could very well include resorts, lodges, and other luxury destinations like the Paws Up outside of Missoula. Additionally, there are multiple sections of public land that would go into private ownership without any deed restrictions at all and leave landowners free to develop the land in a way that could seriously impact the range. The South Crazy Mountain Land exchange, finalized in January 2022, included voluntary conservation easements for public land sections going into private ownership. These easements allowed for traditional land uses, but precluded mineral, residential, industrial, mineral, and recreation development (except for one recreational cabin). We ask that the Forest Service and private landowners provide similar assurances in this land exchange on the east side of the range. As it stands, the proposal offers no assurances that the land will stay undeveloped. We also have concerns about how the Forest Service has analyzed the potential environmental effects of this land exchange. When considering potential impacts on wildlife and other ecosystem values, the agency must consider all reasonably foreseeable future actions, including those by federal and non-federal parties. Instead of considering the effects on wildlife if the newly exchanged parcels were to be developed, the analysis concludes that because the landowners intend to leave the land undeveloped, there will be no negative effects on wildlife. This underlying assumption, based on landowners’ current intentions but not on trends in Montana that are turning our outdoors into playgrounds for the rich, is a major flaw in the analysis. That’s why we are asking the Forest Service to fully analyze potential environmental effects if the low-lying lands proposed for private ownership are not protected with conservation easements or stronger deed restrictions and are left open for subsequent development. As it stands, the current, modified draft of the land exchange stands to harm the Crazy Mountains, a breathtaking range that plays a profound historical, cultural, and spiritual role in the lives of the Apsáalooke people and serves as crucial habitat for mountain goats, elk, and other wildlife. We’re urging the Forest Service to ensure those values are protected in the final draft of the exchange. For more information about the exchange, visit here. Maddy Munson is the public lands director at Wild Montana. [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2023/10/24/latest-crazies-land-exchange-proposal-still-inadequate/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/