Another big land deal announced west of Kalispell
Rich with game, Southern Pines Plantation owns much of the land surrounding the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge west of Kalispell.
The land deals continue on huge swaths of forest between Kalispell and Libby.
Green Diamond Resource Company announced it was purchasing about 291,000 acres of timberlands from Southern Pine Plantations.
Southern Pine bought 630,000 acres from Weyerhaeuser in the same geographical area for $230 an acre in 2019.
This sale represents a little less than half of those holdings. Terms were not disclosed.
“We see this as a generational asset,” said Green Diamond’s President Douglas Reed in a release. “It is our intent to manage these lands as working forests going forward.”
Reed said that Green Diamond has a long history of managing forests to maintain and improve productivity while protecting shared values including recreation, clean water, wildlife and carbon, the company said.
Green Diamond will continue enrollment in the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Block Management program, to maintain public access for hunting, fishing and other recreational activities. The company will also assume the terms of the Thompson-Fisher River Conservation easement, much of which is part of the Green Diamond footprint. Green Diamond will also continue to work with The Trust for Public Land toward completion of the ongoing Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Project and the Lost Trail Conservation Area.
“These projects would ensure access to key recreation areas for area residents and visitors while maintaining working forests,” Reed said.
“Green Diamond has been a great partner in conservation through several projects across the US, and we look forward to working with the company in northwestern Montana. The conservation component of these lands is critical to ensuring they stay in working forest and remain open to the public,” said Dick Dolan, northern Rockies director of The Trust for Public Land.
The deal will boost Green Diamond's holding to about 2.1 million acres nationwide. It holds lands in 10 states and is a privately owned company.The company also owns working forest lands in Washington, Oregon and California.