The forested mountain-valley landscape is winter range habitat for many wildlife species and a popular location for fishing. Plum Creek Timberlands owns significant acreage in these drainages, which was at risk for development of second homes. Such conversion to non-forest uses could reduce production of forest products, fragment and degrade habitat, restrict public access, create burdens on local governments to provide services in rural areas, and adversely affect resources on adjacent public lands. Through the acquisition of the development rights associated with the property, the easement protects fisheries habitat for the bull trout, redband trout and westslope cutthroat trout, plus important winter range for the area’s large elk population and habitat for numerous other wildlife species that inhabit the area. It also provides for traditional public recreational use of these lands, subject to safety and environmental concerns. A key element of this easement is the provision for management of the lands as a “working forest,” maintaining a resource base for the local and regional forest products industry.

Placing homes in the forest environment creates unnecessary threats to public safety and private property, and places an extreme burden on the taxpayers.  By maintaining these lands in forest production, the encroachment of residences into the forests is prevented and the obligations and costs of providing services to isolated rural-recreational development is avoided.