Full Text
City of Missoula, Montana Item to be Referred to City Council Committee Committee: Conservation Item: Spooner Creek Ranch – Purchase of Conservation Easement from Anderson family with 2006 Open Space Bond funds Date: 9/24/09 Prepared by: Jackie Corday Initiated by: Parks Department Action Required: Set a public hearing for adoption of a Resolution that authorizes the City to contribute $25,000 towards the purchase of a conservation easement on the 207 acres of Anderson family property with 2006 Open Space Bond funds. Recommended Motion: THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION TO EXPEND $25,000 OF 2006 OPEN SPACE BOND MONEY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A CONSERVATION EASEMENT THAT WILL BE HELD BY ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION ON 207 ACRES OF THE ANDERSON FAMILY PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE SPOONER CREEK RANCH. Timeline: Referral to committee: September 24, 2009 Committee discussion: September 30, 2009 Council acts to set hearing: October 5, 2009 Public Hearing: October 26, 2009 Background and Alternatives Explored: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has negotiated the purchase of a conservation easement for a total of $200,000 from the Anderson family on 207 acres of their Spooner Creek Ranch located about 12 miles up Miller Creek Road in the Upper Miller Creek Valley, using a combination of two funding sources: 1) $175,000 proposed from the County's portion of the 2006 Missoula County Open Space Bond and 2) $25,000 from the City's portion of the 2006 Missoula County Open Space Bond Line. The conservation easement was recently appraised at $1,800,000. The Anderson's will donate $1,600,000 of that value and also incur $33,000 in costs (appraisal, baseline report, stewardship costs, closing costs) and RMEF will have incurred $23,117 (legal & staff time & office expenses). The ranch consists of approximately 120 forested acres and about 68 acres are used for sub-irrigated hay pasture. The Andersons have a number of horses, but have not had cattle for many years. The ranch is adjacent to land owned by USFS, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as part of the Montana Legacy project, and the 1082 acre Wegener ranch. The large majority of land in the Upper Miller Creek Valley is owned by USFS, TNC, and State Lands. ---PAGE BREAK--- The easement allows the landowners to build additional agricultural structures, continue all agricultural and silviculture practices, and to replace the existing 3 residences if needed or desired within the two designated building envelopes. Wildlife & Habitat - The non-cultivated areas of the property consist of a variety of plant communities including Ponderosa pine dominated forest, aspen groves, grassland, and wetland areas. The property supports and is habitat for approximately 150-200 elk that utilize the land throughout the year. Other wildlife often sited in the area include black bear, mountain lion, moose, gray wolf, mule and white-tailed deer, turkey, beaver, blue and spruce grouse, as well as numerous small mammals and birds. The property is part of an important wildlife linkage zone that connects the Sapphire Mountains with the Bitterroot Valley. Spooner and Millers Creeks run through the property, both of which support native Westslope cutthroat trout. Because no grazing occurs along the stream banks, the riparian vegetation is lush and diverse. Although the ranch is not located within a Cornerstone priority area in the 2006 Open Space Plan, a small portion of the property does lie within the Missoula Planning Region, and thus is within the City's jurisdiction for expending open space bond funds. This ranch provided the perfect opportunity to fund a joint project with the County. The ranch meets five out of the seven types of lands listed by the 2006 Open Space bond protecting the water quality of rivers, lakes and streams (Miller Creek and Spooner Creek); 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 September 10th and unanimously recommended approval of this project. Financial Implications: If approved by Council and the Commissioners, the $25,000 would be deducted from the City’s $5,000,000 share of the bond. The Anderson family will continue to own and maintain the land. The City has no future financial or maintenance obligations for the land. Attachments: A. Map of the property B. Letter of recommendation from OSAC C. Resolution authorizing bond expenditure