allow FWP limited control of livestock grazing 

 on the lands. All other property rights, such as 

 forest management, timber harvest, road and 

 recreation management, commercial 

 development or future disposition of the 

 property (i.e., sale of the land) are retained by 

 the landowner. These leases/licenses are 

 short-term (1-10 years) and subject to early 

 termination at the landowner's sole discretion. 

 With property values increasing rapidly in this 

 region of Montana, FWP is concerned about 

 possible future sales of lands currently leased 

 into the BCWMA. Such future sales, and 

 subsequent developments of the types 

 currently occurring on surrounding lands in the 

 lower Clearwater Valley, would severely 

 reduce winter habitat for elk and deer, and 

 cause a corresponding reduction in wildlife 

 populations. Therefore, FWP initiated 

 discussions with Plum Creek and DNRC in the 

 early 1990s to develop a mutually beneficial 

 solution. 



Maintain hunting opportunity in Hunting 

 Districts (HDs) 282, 285 and 150 by 

 retaining habitat. Elk population declines 

 of up to 50% would be likely if land 

 development or incompatible management 

 occurred on the BCWMA winter range. 



Allow more flexibility to enhance the core 

 elk winter range in HD 282 using 

 prescribed fire, herbicides, timber harvest 

 and other measures as appropriate 

 (subject to public review of management 

 plans). 



Retain State ownership of BCWMA lands 

 that are already in State (FWP or DNRC) 

 ownership, to ensure that management 

 activities receive public review as provided 

 by the Montana Environmental Policy Act 

 (MEPA), and that all pertinent wildlife 

 concerns continue to be fully considered 

 in the future. 



PROJECT OBJECTIVES 



DNRC and FWP developed this proposal in 

 consideration of the existing legal framework, 

 agency policies, agency and county 

 comprehensive plans, and FWP and Montana 

 Land Board criteria for land exchanges. The 

 proposal is consistent with FWP's Revised 

 Management Plan for the BCWMA and 

 DNRC's State Forest Land Management Plan 

 and its Resource Management Standards. 

 The following specific objectives were 

 identified for the proposed land exchanges 

 and Cooperative Management Agreement: 



• Protect public investments and progress 

 made during the past 52 years in restoring 

 the Blackfoot-Clearwater elk herd. 



• Manage the core winter range of the 

 Blackfoot-Clearwater elk herd with added 

 stability and continuity of purpose. 



Acquire a readily accessible block of 

 productive forest land that can be 

 efficiently and effectively managed to 

 produce timber, range, recreation or other 

 products that could benefit the state trusts 

 and local economies. 



Reduce overlapping responsibilities and 

 conflicts in agency missions and 

 management direction between FWP and 

 DNRC, regarding state lands within the 

 BCWMA. 



Enhance the land management 

 capabilities of State government without 

 removing more private land from private 

 ownership. Accomplish this by land 

 exchanges where feasible, while 

 preserving natural or cultural resources, 

 public recreational values, leased rights or 

 coincident amenities, and meeting the 

 Montana Land Board Exchange Criteria. 



PUBLIC CONCERNS 



In November 1999, FWP and DNRC solicited comments from the public on the land exchange 

 proposal. The public raised concerns about the potential impacts on the environment. These 

 concerns are discussed in Chapter 1 of the DEIS, and were used in developing alternatives. The 

 concerns expressed by the public and the agencies can be summarized in three general statements. 



BCWMA Land Exchanges Draft Environmental Impact Statement 



Executive Summary - 2 



