Full Text
1 RESOLUTION NUMBER A RESOLUTION OF THE MISSOULA CITY COUNCIL TO EXPEND $175,000 OF 2006 OPEN SPACE BOND PROCEEDS TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON THE 1036 ACRE QUEBEC DESCHAMPS CREEK RANCH LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES NW OF THE WYE INTERSECTION OF I-90 AND HWY 93 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MISSOULA COUNTY AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION. WHEREAS, the City of Missoula has adopted the Missoula Urban Area Open Space Plan 2006 Update (“Open Space Plan”), which envisions an open space system for the greater Missoula area; and WHEREAS, a vote of Missoula County citizens in November 2006 authorized the Missoula County Commissioners to issue $10 million dollars of Open Space Bonds to acquire open space land, $5,000,000 of which is allocated for lands in or near the City, as guided by the Open Space Plan; and WHEREAS, the November 2006 open space bond election ballot lists conserving family farms and ranches as one of the allowed types of bond expenditures and the Open Space Plan encourages the preservation of agricultural land as part of the open space system; and WHEREAS, the November 2006 open space bond election ballot also lists protecting wildlife habitat and scenic landscapes as two other allowed types of bond expenditures and the Open Space Plan places a high priority on protecting these values as well; and WHEREAS, the Deschamps family ranch consists of 1036 acres, about 1/2 of which is located within the boundaries of the Missoula Planning Region and all of which is located within the Open Space Plan boundaries and is highly visible from I-90, Hwy 93 N, the western side of the South Hills, and Mullan area neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, the Deschamps family ranch meets the goals listed in the Open Space Plan regarding worthy agricultural lands due to their historical, aesthetic, scenic and wildlife values, including critical elk winter range; and WHEREAS, the ranch is adjacent to land owned by USFS and is also nearby land that is subject to another RMEF conservation easement; and WHEREAS, the Deschamps family have generously agreed to enter into an access agreement with the City to provide public access for up to 4 natural history fieldtrips per year organized by Missoula Parks & Recreation; and ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 WHEREAS, on August 12, 2010 the Open Space Advisory Committee unanimously recommended an appropriation of $175,000 towards purchase of a conservation easement on the Deschamps family property in partnership with Missoula County and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; and WHEREAS Missoula County will be contributing $175,000 from its portion of the 2006 Open Space Bond to help purchase the easement, and the Deschamps family is donating approximately 40% to 50% of the value of the conservation easement; and WHEREAS, the proposed acquisition furthers the conservation partnership between the City of Missoula, Missoula County, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; and NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Missoula City Council appropriates $175,000 of open space bond proceeds towards the purchase of a conservation easement on 1036 acres of Deschamps family property in partnership with Missoula County and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Missoula City Council thanks the Deschamps family for their generous contribution towards preserving Missoula’s open spaces and thanks to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for their dedicated work on making this project happen. PASSED AND ADOPTED this day of October, 2010. ATTEST: APPROVED: Martha L. Rehbein John Engen City Clerk Mayor (SEAL)