Full Text
City of Missoula, Montana Item to be Referred to City Council Committee Committee: Conservation Item: Purchase of a Conservation Easement on a 304 acre parcel in the North Hills with 2006 Open Space Bond funds Date: March 11, 2010 Prepared by: Jackie Corday Initiated by: Parks Department Action Required: Set a public hearing for adoption of a Resolution that authorizes contributing towards the purchase of a conservation easement on a 304 acre parcel in the North Hills with 2006 Open Space Bond funds. Recommended Motion: THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION TO EXPEND $445,000 OF 2006 OPEN SPACE BOND MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A CONSERVATION EASEMENT THAT WILL BE HELD BY FIVE VALLEYS LAND TRUST ON 304 ACRES IN THE NORTH HILLS OWNED BY ALLIED WASTE SYSTEMS (FORMERLY THE RYAN FAMILY RANCH). Timeline: Referral to committee: March 11, 2010 Committee discussion: March 17, 2010 Council acts to set hearing: March 22, 2010 Public Hearing: April 5, 2010 (This would be a joint Board of County Commissioners and City Council hearing) Background and Alternatives Explored: Five Valleys Land Trust (FVLT) has negotiated the purchase of a conservation easement for $495,000 from Allied Waste Systems (AWS) on 304 acres of its property in the North Hills that was formerly known as the Ryan family ranch, using a combination of three funding sources: 1) $445,000 proposed from the 2006 Missoula County Open Space Bond, 2) $50,000 from FVLT member donations, and 3) AWS donating approximately 71% of the conservation easement appraised value ($1,710,000). The property is mainly open grasslands traversed by several woody draws that provide great wildlife and bird habitat. The draws contain many huge Ponderosa pines and a couple intermittent springs. There are no structures on the property – just a couple of single-lane dirt ranch roads and power lines. The easement terms allow AWS to build agricultural structures within a 17 acre building envelope in the SW corner and continue any agricultural and silviculture practices, but it prohibits any residential structures. The North Hills were identified as a Cornerstone priority area in the 1995 Open Space Plan, and again by citizens during the process of updating the plan in 2006. The property is wholly within the North Hills Cornerstone as shown in the Missoula Urban Area Open Space Plan, which means that such lands are a high priority for protection. The property is visible from the large majority of all neighborhoods in Missoula. In addition to the tremendous scenic viewshed value, the conservation ---PAGE BREAK--- easement will protect elk winter range, wildlife habitat and bird nesting and feeding habitat for numerous species, and over 120 acres of soils of Local Importance. Max Bauer, Manager of the Allied Waste Landfill, is very interested in improving the wildlife value of the land and has already begun projects towards that goal, including removing the sheep fencing along the northern border this past fall to make it easier for the North Hills Elk Herd to utilize the area. The elk are in fact already using the property more than in the past – during our OSAC fieldtrip in January we came across lots of fresh elk pellets. In regards to public access on the property, Max has discussed Block Management with Fish, Wildlife & Parks, which would allow for controlled hunting access. Additionally, AWS has also made the commitment to work with the City in the future for granting a public trail easement on the property. Harriett Spurlock, the large landowner to the east, has a lifetime grazing lease on the City's 120 acre Schilling parcel located adjacent and to the south of the AWS parcel, and thus no public access is available to traverse that parcel up to the subject property at this time. Additionally, the conservation values of the subject parcel are very high, and thus any public recreational access must be carefully planned in order to not adversely impact those values. This property meets four out of the seven types of lands listed by the 2006 Open Space bond protecting wildlife habitat; conserving working ranches, farms and forests; providing open space and scenic landscapes; and managing for growth. The Open Space Advisory Committee met on February 11th and unanimously recommended approval of this project. After obtaining OSAC approval, meeting with the County Commissioners was the second procedural step for receiving open space bond funding. I met with them on March 8th and they gave their initial approval by signing a resolution that states this is a "Qualified Open Space Project" under the 2006 Missoula County Open Space Bond. Financial Implications: If approved by Council and the Commissioners, the $445,000 would be deducted from the City’s $5,000,000 share of the bond. The acreage would be managed and maintained by AWS, not the City. Once a public hiking trail is constructed, the City would be responsible for the maintenance of the trail. Attachments: 1. Map of the property 2. Letter of support from OSAC 3. Letters of support from a. FWP b. RMEF c. Bert Lindler d. Audubon 4. Resolution authorizing bond expenditure