Vital Ground Property Management Plan Yaak Mountain Acquisition Lincoln County, MT

Transcription

1 Vital Ground Property Management Plan Yaak Mountain Acquisition Lincoln County, MT February 12, 2013 Ryan Lutey The Vital Ground Foundation Building T-2, Fort Missoula Road Missoula, MT

2 1) Property Details a. Montana Geocode: b. Acquisition date: July 31st, 2010 c. Method of acquisition: Fair market value, fee-title acquisition, from Terri L. Anderson d. Property size: 71 acres e. Property location (see locator map below) i. Nearest Town: Troy, MT (Lincoln County) ii. Legal description: TR-1 in the Southwest ¼, Section 9, Township 32 North, Range 34 West iii. Lat./Long: N, iv. Approximate elevation: 1900 ft. f. Physical description: The general landscape is characterized by nearly level to rolling terraces connected by steep risers. The terrain on this parcel features a level, alluvial terrace used for agriculture, a gently sloping lower terrace with forestland, and a steep, rocky riser that leads to an upper glacial outwash terrace. Aspect is generally southwest. Elevation ranges from 1,860 feet above sea level along the south boundary, to about 2,160 in the northeast corner. Average precipitation for the city of Troy, Montana is about 25.5 inches per year and the average annual temperature is 46.3 degrees F g. Access to property: This acre parcel is located about seven miles northwest of Troy, Montana near the confluence of the Kootenai and Yaak Rivers. A gated, gravel driveway provides direct access to an inactive homesite from U.S. Highway 2. A two-track, dirt-surfaced road leads to a log-landing site in the forestland that still contains a pile of old logs. Within the forestland, log skidding trails offer access by foot or ATV. One trail that leads to the northeast corner of the parcel has a very steep grade and may not be passable with an ATV. h. Forest stewardship or other existing plans: Inland Forest Management of Sandpoint, Idaho has produced a Vegetation Restoration Plan (May 2012) to help guide noxious weed treatment and restoration of native plant species on the property. Work began pursuant to that plan during Summer i. Previous land use(s): Prior to 2009, the open, lowest elevation portions of the property were used for pasture and hay production, while upland portions of the property show evidence of several forest entries. A central portion of the property was used residentially and to support agricultural operations, with development consisting of two abandon dwellings, a barn, two sheds, a non-functioning, drilled water well head and two 500-gallon above ground water tanks. This property does not contain any large springs, perennial or seasonal streams or ponds. A small, seasonal seep or spring is located east of the inactive home site. Portions of the field were flooded from snowmelt during March The well had an estimated production of 2

3 only 2 gallons per minute when it was operational, and it appears that a steady water source has been a struggle to maintain on this property. j. Legal information: No additional agreements are in place at this time, however, Vital Ground is evaluating the potential to enter into a hay production lease with the neighboring land owners (Jamie and Rose Lockman) - TBD during Spring

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6 2) Current Status of species targeted for conservation The Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear population is currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species. The population has been deemed to be warranted for endangered status, but precluded by other priority species listings. There are an estimated grizzly bears in the Cabinet-Yaak Recovery Zone, with numbers approximately equally divided between the Canadian and U.S. portions of the ecosystems. The factors affecting grizzly bears in both British Columbia and northwest Montana are largely related to human development. One of the factors negatively affecting the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly population is a loss of seasonal habitat due to development on private lands in the lowlands, and there is recent evidence indicating that the population is fairly isolated genetically, potentially being sustained only due to recent efforts by the USFWS and MTFWP to augment the population. Sanitation is another issue of concern, as grizzly bears come into conflict at private residences seeking food rewards from garbage and other attractants that are not properly stored, and sanitation-related mortalities have occurred during the past five years. Canada Lynx, another animal listed as threatened, may occasionally range through this property. Canada Lynx typically require early successional forest stages for hunting its principal food source, snowshoe hare. They also require mature, closed canopy forest with a high density of downed logs and stumps for denning. Spaulding s Catchfly is another Threatened species found predominantly in the Pacific Northwest bunchgrass grasslands and sagebrush-steppe, and occasionally in open-canopy pine stands. This property does not contain riparian habitat or streams that contribute to fish habitat. 3) Adjacent land uses a. Kootenai National Forest: The Kootenai National Forest manages its lands in accordance with a multiple use mandate. The Forest Service has completed a survey of its common boundaries with the Yaak Mountain Property and USFS markers are plainly visible along the east and south borders of the property. The east line surveyed by the Forest Service does not coincide with the placement of the dilapidated barbed wire fence that served historically as the northern property boundary - via the updated survey, the Forest Service has corrected the southeast corner of the Yaak Mountain parcel in its favor. b. Private Residential/Agricultural (Jamie and Rose Lockman): Jamie and Rose Lockman own approximately 90 acres located north of the Yaak Mountain property. Development on that property is fairly clustered near Highway 2, with significant debris and junk on site. During 2012, Vital Ground permitted the Lockmans to hay the meadow portion of the Yaak Mountain parcel in exchange for addressing the significant weed infestation that had been allowed to develop during the years the meadow was fallow. We are evaluating the benefits to continuing that arrangement during the coming season. Vital Ground and the linkage initiative partners have targeted the Lockman property for a conservation if our relationship strengthens to make this possible. 6

7 c. Undeveloped Private Residential (Wild River Estates Subdivision): This holding is a 19- lot subdivision originally platted and listed for sale in 2009, and it is located imedieately across Highway 2 from the subject property. Only one of the lots has a structure on it at this time, and 11 of the original 19 lots are still actively listed for sale. Those listed lots are blocked together in the center of the subdivision. Early discussions with a local realtor indicate that the owner/seller is motivated and soliciting best offers, and Vital Ground has contracted for a preliminary valuation that would support an offer of approximately $450,000. The private lands working group of the Cabinet-Purcell Wildlife Habitat Linkage Initiative has encouraged Vital Ground to pursue a conservation outcome for the remaining holdings. d. Private Residential (Nystrom): Approximately nine acres along Highway 2 at the northwest corner of the subject property are privately owned and used for residential purposes. To date, Vital Ground has not had contact with the legal owner of this property. 4) Special management considerations/restrictions a. Pursuant to Vital Ground's Fee Title Land Stewardship Policies, the organization has determined that the existing improvements on the Yaak Mountain Property do not have a programmatic use, and they are scheduled to be removed to enhance the property s value for wildlife. Work to demolish and remove all improvements will begin in February 2013, with restoration of disturbed sites to continue through summer b. Pursuant to the 2012 Vegetation Restoration Plan (attached), Inland Forest Management will continue to work with Vital Ground through 2014 to control noxious weeds and restore native vegetation on the subject property. 5) Conservation goals, management objectives and management actions a. Conservation goal: Maximize the effectiveness of the property as a secure seasonal grizzly bear habitat and as linkage to larger adjacent blocks of protected wildlife habitat. Management Objective Restore the property to an undeveloped state o Management Action: Existing structures will be demolished during Management Objective Minimize conflicts between humans and grizzly bears o Management Actions: Limited non-motorized public access will be allowed only at times when there is likely to be little use by grizzly bears. Vital Ground will require written permission for public access. (See Recreational Activity Matrix) The property will be posted and monitored against trespass - especially during Montana's open hunting seasons. Management Objective Minimize opportunities for mistaken identification of grizzly bears to occur during bear hunting season. o Management Actions: Bear hunting is not allowed on the property. b. Conservation goal: Maintain and restore the ecological health of the land to support a diverse array of native flora and fauna. Management Objective Protect and restore native vegetation and maintain the property s usefulness for wildlife. 7

8 o Management Action: Vegetation restoration will continue until native vegetation can be maintained with little more than annual or semi-annual weed treatment. o Management Action: Continue to evaluate the benefits of leasing the hay ground to prevent encroachment by noxious weeds while maintaining some cover beneficial to wildlife. c. Conservation goal: Provide opportunities for conservation education and wildlife viewing activities that will not conflict with the property s usefulness to grizzly bears. Management Objective Maintain positive relations with adjacent landowners, partner agencies and the local community. o Management Actions: Maintain communication and collaboration with the Lockmans, while investigating opportunities for a conservation outcome for their property. Continue to evaluate an investment at the Wild River Estates subdivision. Public Recreation Activity Matrix Yaak Mountain Property ACTIVITY PERMITTED PROHIBITED CONDITIONS Public access for nonconsumptive Written permission required. activities Allowed only at times when such as hiking, bird there is likely to be little use by watching and wildlife grizzly bears. viewing. Motorized Public Access Camping Hunting - Bear Hunting Other Carnivores Hunting - Deer and Elk May be permitted with written permission only. Hunting - Waterfowl Hunting - Upland Bird May be permitted with written permission only. Trapping 6) Management funding and costs Vital Ground has established a Stewardship and Legal Defense Fund to assist with the ongoing stewardship and management costs for its conservation properties and easements. It is Vital Ground s policy to place $5,000 - $10,000 in the Stewardship and Legal Defense Fund for each conservation easement or land parcel acquired. These funds may be contributed by the landowner, a third-party donor, or transferred from another Vital Ground fund. This fund is managed as a quasi-endowment and its purpose is to: 8

9 Serve as a legal defense fund should Vital Ground ever have to defend a conservation easement through litigation. The fund corpus may be invaded for this purpose. Interest from the fund may be used to assist with the annual stewardship and maintenance costs associated with Vital Ground s conservation lands and easements. Following closing, Vital Ground placed $20,000 in the Stewardship and Legal Defense Fund on behalf of the Yaak Mountain Property. The organization budgeted an additional $35,000 to the stewardship costs associated with demolition of the structures and vegetation restoration activities, and has nearly met the fundraising goal for these expenditures. 7) Partnerships with other agencies and interested parties The Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative provided one half of the funding required to close this transaction, Vital Ground has subsequently partnered with the Trust for Public Land on a grant application to provide nearly 1/2 of the remaining stewardship/restoration expenses allocated to demolition and restoration of the developed sites on the proeprty. 8) Recommended monitoring schedule and areas of special emphasis Vital Ground land staff will conduct at least two monitoring visits semi-annually. However, these visits are occurring more frequently during the specific management activities currently ongoing at this location. 9