Montana Legacy Project
In 2007, The Nature Conservancy and The Trust For Public Land entered into an agreement with Plum Creek Timber Company to purchase all of the remaining Plum Creek lands in the Swan Valley (67,000 acres). The Swan lands are just a subset of The Montana Legacy Project which encompassed 310,000 acres across western Montana. Swan Valley Connections played an integral role in catalyzing and implementing this enormous land conservation project.
From Plum Creek to Public
In order to simplify land ownership and protect public access, most of the former Plum Creek lands in the Swan Valley have been conveyed to the Flathead National Forest. Northern portions of the Swan Valley were conveyed to the Swan River State Forest, with a few parcels going to Montana Department Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Features
Large Landscapes in Focus
By JAMES LEVITT, Saving Land, Land Trust Alliance, Spring 2013 (PDF)
Ensuring A Timberland Legacy
By JANE BRAXTON LITTLE, American Forests, Winter 2009 (PDF)
Plum Creek conservation deal biggest in U.S.
By MICHAEL JAMISON, Missoulian, June 30, 2008 (PDF)