USFS plan to buy critical habitat near Yellowstone would halt subdivision plan

By SCOTT McMILLION

The Forest Service will purchase a key piece of wildlife habitat north of West Yellowstone this year if Congress gives its final approval of a $2.5 million allocation.

Residential and commercial development had been proposed for the 427-acre property, known as the Duck Creek wetlands, though nearby developers have found the zoning changes they wanted were hard to obtain.

The land is west of Highway 191 and south of Highway 287, in an area known locally as the Duck Creek Wye. It borders Duck Creek and Hebgen Lake, and part of the land is swamp.

The property has been the site of a controversial elk feeding ground, until wildlife feeding was made illegal several years ago, and the Montana Department of Livestock ran a bison trap there for a couple winters in the 1990s.

It's popular with grizzly bears, and tall willows in the swampy areas offer refuge to everything from bison to beavers to song birds.

"It's a relatively small property, but that's a critical location there," said Bob Dennee, lands specialist for the Gallatin National Forest.

One house and a log home business stand on the property now, and will have to be moved if it becomes public.

"I'll have to move my house," said Michael Bryers, who owns his house but not the land under it.

"I'm sure more people will use it," he predicted, "but I had it to myself for 20 years."

He said he supports the proposed government purchase.

"That's better than having a big subdivision there," he said.

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks takes the same position, said biologist Kurt Alt.

Housing construction there likely would create a "sink" for the four or five grizzlies in the neighborhood.

The land is owned today by a group of investors called the Duck Creek Partners, Dennee said. It is zoned to allow one dwelling per five acres, which means scores of homes could be built.

John Costello, a West Yellowstone businessman who represents the partnership, could not be reached for comment Tuesday but Dennee and Alt both praised the owners for working with the government.

Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., announced last week that the Senate has set aside $2.5 million for purchase of that land.

"Sen. Burns has been very supportive," Dennee said.

That money is in a giant omnibus spending bill scheduled for a joint committee of the U.S. Senate and House in the next week or two, said J.P. Donovan, a Burns spokesman.

"We're not expecting the numbers to change," Donovan said, adding that Burns hopes to sit on the joint committee.

Other spending measures on the same bill include $6.5 million to complete the purchase of 3,250 acres from David Brask, owner of the 320 Ranch in the Gallatin Canyon.

The land to be acquired is in the wildlife rich Taylor Fork drainage. It cost the public a total of $9.4 million. The deal also secures public access to national forest lands in the Buffalo Horn drainage as well as the Taylor Fork.

Scott McMillion is at scottm@gomontana.com.

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