#conservationeasement — Public Fediverse posts

#WhitefishMT - #ConservationEasement enhances #WildlifeCorridor near Whitefish

Jan. 13, 2026 — "A newly created conservation easement along the #StillwaterRiver west of Whitefish is expected to help secure a critical wildlife corridor.

"Doug and Carolyn Kohrs worked with #FlatheadLandTrust to establish the 110-acre conservation easement earlier this month. The acreage, which augments a 655-acre conservation easement that the couple established in 2022, connects with the 1,560-acre #KuhnsWildlifeManagementArea and vast swaths of state and federally managed forestlands.

" 'Carolyn and I are excited to add this additional piece of wildlife-critical land to our existing easement,' said Doug Kohrs of the easement. 'Secure and safe wildlife corridors are important for all the different animal species who live in the valley, especially as the inevitable development creeps closer to their natural habitat.'

"The Kohrs have personally documented 95 bird species on the property, along with vital #wildlife species like #GrizzlyBears, #BlackBears, #MountainLions, #wolves, #bobcats, #elk and #deer. The easement also includes a stretch of the Stillwater River that provides habitat for #BullTrout and #WestslopeCutthroatTrout.

"The land was slated for an eight-home #subdivision before the Kohrs acquired it in 2005.

"The terms of the conservation easement prohibit division of the property and regulate construction to specific areas. The land can still be used for #agriculture.

"The easement is perpetual, meaning any future landowners would be required to abide by the same requirements.

" 'Just as this land serves as a vital anchor for a critical wildlife corridor, the Kohrs themselves have become a cornerstone of conservation in the #FlatheadValley,' reads a Jan. 6 press release from Flathead Land Trust. "Their dedication has created the essential framework for a landscape that remains open, connected and productive, ensuring that the region's natural character endures for generations."

Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/conservation-easement-enhances-wildlife-corridor-032000073.html

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeConservation #Wildlife #Nature #Montana

#Colorado - Residents celebrate game-changing agreement for crucial US nature area: 'My goal has always been to preserve'

by Misty Layne
Wed, December 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM

"Land conservation is more important than ever, as changes in the climate and increased #urbanization have brought about habitat loss.

"According to Hoodline, one ranch owner in Colorado did their part to support land conservation while also securing the future of their 675-acre property through a significant donation that placed the property under a #ConservationEasement.

"A conservation easement is a legal agreement that permanently limits how landowners can use their land to protect its conservation value.

"#LegendTrailRanch in Northern Colorado is found in the Laramie Foothills region, an area targeted by the Larimer County Open Lands Master Plan as essential for land conservation. In particular, the ranch's proximity to U.S. Hwy 287 makes it a vital parcel of protected lands in Larimer County.

"Significant conservation work has already happened in the Laramie Foothills region. For example, Great Outdoors Colorado funded the Mountains to Plains Project in 2004, which was, at the time, the largest Great Outdoors Colorado grant of all time — an $11.6 million request plus an estimated local match totaling $13.7 million. Overall, through the years and various projects and partnerships, 140,000 acres of land in the Laramie Foothills have been protected.

"This protected land connects the plains to the mountains, providing a key corridor for #wildlife movement in the region, which is just one reason conservation of this area is so important. Additionally, current and future projects aim to collect #seeds to restore #Prairie land and manage invasive plants and #weeds, thereby protecting #NativeSpecies, conserving natural resources, and economically benefiting those living in the area.

"Legend Trail Ranch offers up working #agricultural lands, rock #outcroppings, and rolling grasslands for conservation. With the conservation easement, Legend Trail Ranch can not only continue using the land for growing hay, grazing cattle, and other agricultural uses, but also protect local #ecosystems, #biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and the land's incredibly scenic views.

"As Hoodline reported, the ranch's landowner, Cheryl Rennels, shared, 'My goal has always been to preserve the agricultural way of life I grew up in and currently enjoy. Partnering with Larimer County permanently conserves what I value: agriculture lifestyle, livestock, wildlife and the beauty of the Livermore Valley.' "

Source:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/residents-celebrate-game-changing-agreement-160000155.html

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeCorridors #Grasslands #Nature

Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan

Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
Published March 12, 2025

"Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.

"A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.

"The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.

"'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

"Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."

Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-03-12/bills-revive-debate-over-sears-island-port-plan
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies