The Montana Legacy Project
Meeting Minutes for September 3, 2008
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We welcomed several visitors this week, including several prospective members and returning/visiting member George Bailey. George is now with the Wallace, Idaho club, and he presented us with his club's banner.
The word was out that Eric Frazee had become engaged this past weekend; so of course, he had to spin the wheel. His task was to introduce himself to our newest member that he didn't know. After surveying the room, it appeared that the newest member was in fact Eric, and he seemed to know everyone else. Someone asked how well Eric knew himself, and our President Chris told Eric that he'll "get to know himself better when he is married." A hearty laugh ensued amongst several comments of, "Let's move on!"
Announcements:
--Greg Johnson updated on the Who's Who Revue, our joint fundraiser with the Montana Repertory Theatre, on September 13th. Talent is ready and will begin rehearsals this week. Tickets and/or money from sold tickets are due to Carol Gaub now, and tickets will be at Worden's and Rockin' Rudy's for general sales this week. This insert will soon be in the Missoulian, and WE ALL NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD and assure a good volume of ticket sales. Greg announced that Fred Van Valkenberg will be joining Bob Brown on stage and that he and Anne Guest will be doing a dance. This is a CAN'T MISS event!
--Brandon Naasz reported on the Silver Park Shelter project. "Our day" to help will be the Friday of the event (September 26th) and please get with Brandon if you'd like to volunteer to help (serve food, etc.). You can also sign up to do some "hands on" build work during the week through the timber framers' site: tfguild.org.
--Al Jensen reminded us about the Peace Park celebration the weekend of September 19-21, at Many Glacier Lodge. There will be a Peace Park Assembly from 9am to 1pm on Saturday. All members are encouraged to attend. Questions? Just ask Al or Carl Prinzing.
--Tina Begay's badge is missing. We found the bell, now where is Tina's badge? (Has anyone checked where we found the bell?)
--Paul Williamson announced that the Baskets of Plenty committee was meeting Wednesday morning following our meeting to kick off the project. Please help if you are interested! Proceeds from the BOP will benefit the Silver Park project.
--Steve Patrick reported on the Hiawatha Trail Bike Trip with the Youth Homes on August 30th. It was a very successful event-the weather cooperated and 11 youth, 4 counselors and 10 Rotarians/family members had a wonderful time. Steve said (in his best Thespian bombast per David Bardwick), "It was a hoot!" He praised Julie Betty for saving the day by getting the grill working just in time. Steve said that this event wasn't about Service Above Self, but it was Service AND Self, since it didn't seem like Service.
Our Rotary Minute was provided by Marshall Delano who shared a story about a club in Madison, AL (and others) who really made a difference for some Honduran citizens. Their homes each had mud stoves and their city's air pollution was 20 times the standard. The Alabama Rotary club researched and ultimately provided 47 homes with new and better stoves. And, background and training on the way the new stoves would improve air quality was provided to the citizens, who were very accepting and happy as a result. Another wonderful reminder of the fine work Rotarians do worldwide!
Our classification talk was provided by Gene Sterbis, whose classification is chemical engineering. Gene explained that chemical engineers take chemists' ideas in a lab and create plants for a product that can be used. He said there were two needs for job satisfaction that chemical engineering has fulfilled: the opportunity to be creative and the opportunity to interact with people. When Gene moved to Missoula he visited both the Noon club and our club, and he decided to join our club because of then-President Steve Patrick. He enjoys Rotary for the opportunity to give back and the camaraderie. Gene and his wife of almost 44 years, Joanne, winter in Palm Springs, where Gene attends local Rotary meetings. Gene has lived all over the US, and he wonders just what are the criteria for becoming a "Native Montanan" as so many advertise on their cars? Gene has three sons and five grandchildren but no pets. (His son once asked for a pet and when Gene asked why he wanted one, his answer was he wanted to pet something. Gene suggested his son pet the hair on Gene's arms instead.) Gene recalls helping his son with a tough decision: as a sophomore in high school, he asked his son Mike his career plans. Mike thought perhaps he'd like to own a fly shop in Ontario. Gene said that he asked him if he had a hot dog stand and sold each hot dog for $1.00 and he made a $.50 profit on each, how many would he have to sell to make a the living he'd like. That son Mike pondered that question, and today is now an anesthesiologist. Gene ties flies, fishes and golfs, cooks at the Senior Center and volunteers at St. Patrick Hospital. In a "you-had-to-be-there" kind of moment, Gene shared a story about having to change his underwear after thinking he just avoided hitting a moose while driving on a highway.
Matt Jones introduced our speaker, Caroline Bird with The Nature Conservancy, who spoke about the Montana Legacy Project. Caroline is the Western Montana Project Director for The Nature Conservancy and with her was TNC's outreach director for the Montana Legacy Project, Chris Bryant.
Caroline Bird explained that the Montana Legacy Project involves the purchase of 320,000 acres of Plum Creek land in Montana (this is about of Plum Creek's land holdings in the state) by The Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Lands for approximately $510 million. The purchased lands will be transferred into a mixture of private, state and federal ownership. Plum Creek has become an REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) and Caroline said, "As goes Plum Creek in Western Montana, so goes our land use pattern." Therefore, this project, which will involve the purchase over a 3-year period, is to acquire and protect this large amount of land with the following goals:
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To maintain and protect critical wildlife habitat and natural resources.
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To maintain public access.
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To preserve "working landscapes." These lands have provided wood and other service products and that is to continue through sustainable timber management.
A portion of the funding for this project ($250 million) is being sought from the Farm Bill. That amount will go to the USFS to help "erase" the current checkerboard pattern of intermingled Plum Creek and USFS lands.
Additional funding (approximately $100 million or more) is being sought from the State of Montana. The Project "needs to know" if Montanans are interested in wanting some of these lands to be part of state lands, for management by FWP and DNRC.
Still additional funding (up to $100 million) is being sought from private donors, to pay to protect through conservation easements and limited development.
An information question/answer period followed the presentation.
Question: Much of the land (at least in the Fish Creek area) is burned or clear cut or cut heavy, so how much of the land in this deal is just "Plum Creek leftovers?" Answer: The land is productive and in various stages of regrowth. There is a contract with Plum Creek to provide them trees for their mills for 10 years and allows for long-term production.
Question: Is the land off the property tax rolls? Answer: While TNC owns the land it pays the same tax as Plum Creek. Approximately 70% of this land is in Missoula County and it believes this will have a good tax benefit due to PILT (payment in lieu of taxes). This will be better than the County paying for infrastructure for the lands were they to be developed. The property tax situation is not the same case in Mineral County, so they'll look to state or private, not federal, ownership.
Comment: DNRC has not historically been a good land manager. Response: There are varying opinions. DNRC and FWP (who will hold conservation easements) will be working together.
Comment: The State has of a million acres managed for the school trust. The lands must be managed to produce money for schools. It will be good to get $100 million worth more acreage which will be good for the long run. Response: Yes, this is a project with the long-term future in mind. That is the focus.
President Chris Warden thanked Caroline for her presentation, and announced that Missoula Sunrise Rotary will be donating a dictionary to a 3rd grader in her name.
We closed our meeting with a recitation of the Four-Way Test.