D. Management Alternatives 



1) Fee title purchase of the subject property by MFWP 



2) No purchase 



Alternative 1, fee title purchase of the property will help protect the integrity of the JRWMA by 

 preserving the open space character of the WMA, allow MFWP to manage the subject lands as 

 part of the JRWMA, and maintain the current level of public access to the property. 



Alternative 2, the no purchase option, leaves this land at risk in terms of preserving its wildlife 

 habitat value and providing public access. If MFWP does not purchase the subject property the 

 possibility of subdivision may become a real threat given the location and access of the property. 



ffl. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS 



Section 11 identified the management ahematives this report addresses Fee title purchase will 

 provide long term protection of important wildlife habitat and winter range and a movement 

 corridor between Reed Hill and the rest of the WMA, help to preserve the open space 

 characteristics and integrity of the JRWMA, and provide for public access. Section III quantifies 

 the social and economic consequences of the two management alternatives following two basic 

 accounting stances: financial and local area impacts. 



Financial impacts address the cost of the fee title purchase to MFWP and discuss the impacts on 

 tax revenues to local government agencies including school districts. 



Expenditure data associated with the use of the property provides information for analyzing the 

 impacts these expenditures have on local businesses (i.e. income and employment). 



A. Financial Impacts 



The financial impacts on MFWP are related to the fee title purchase price and the 

 maintenance/management costs. The Hughes Livestock Property will cost MFWP $1,137,660.90 

 Maintenance/management costs related to the purchase are associated with weed control, 

 fencing, travel management (roads, trails, signs) etc. 



The financial impacts to local governments are the potential changes in tax revenues resulting 

 fi"om the fee title purchase MCA 87-1-603 states that " the treasurer of each county in which the 

 department owns any land shall describe the land, state the number of acres in each parcel, and 

 request the drawing of a warrant to the county in a sum equal to the amount of taxes which would 

 be payable on county assessment of the property were it taxable to a private citizen " Montana 

 Fish, Wildlife and Parks' management plan for this property states that cattle grazing will be 

 curtailed for a minimum of two years to allow for habitat improvement and longer if necessary. 



