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| Planning Board | |
| Date: | 07/25/2023 |
| Title: | Review of Conservation Easement - Big Spring Ranch |
| Presented by: | Monica Plecker |
| Department: | Planning & Community Services |
| Presentation: | No |
Information
RECOMMENDATION
Planning staff recommends the Board review and provide comment on the proposed conservation easement in accordance with Montana Code Annotated (MCA) 76-6-206. There is no formal action required other than to consider the item and provide comment, if any.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
Betty, Karen, and Peggy Glantz of Big Spring Ranch, working with Montana Land Reliance, would like to place a conservation easement on their 2,316-acre property in Yellowstone County located approximately 7 miles southeast of Laurel along Duck Creek Road. The property is currently 18 parcels.
The property is predominately rangeland with limited areas of historic crop production. A significant portion of the ranch is currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Species common to the area include mule deer, white-tailed deer, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie birds. The grazing is currently leased. The family is excluding from the conservation easement approximately 10 acres where the ranch headquarters are located.
MCA 76-2-206 states:
"In order to minimize conflict with local comprehensive planning, all conservation easements shall be subject to review prior to recording by the appropriate local planning authority for the county within which the land lies. It shall be the responsibility of the entity acquiring the conservation easement to present the proposed conveyance of the conservation easement to the appropriate local planning authority. The local planning authority shall have 90 days from receipt of the proposed conveyance within which to review and to comment upon the relationship of the proposed conveyance to comprehensive planning for the area. Such comments will not be binding on the proposed grantor or grantee but shall be merely advisory in nature. The proposed conveyance may be recorded after comments have been received from the local planning authority or the local planning authority has indicated in writing it will have no comments or 90 days have elapsed, whichever occurs first."
This area is located within a remote and undeveloped part of the county and there are no area specific plans that impact this property. The County Growth Policy does recognize agricultural uses as being important to the economy of Yellowstone County and has been a dominating economic driver for the County. Some of the land in the proposed easement is located in Special Zone District (SZD) 14 and 16. These districts are rural in nature and contemplate very little development and are intended to preserve the rural landscape and most land is zoned agricultural. The Planning Board should review the proposal and provide comment, if any.
The property is predominately rangeland with limited areas of historic crop production. A significant portion of the ranch is currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Species common to the area include mule deer, white-tailed deer, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie birds. The grazing is currently leased. The family is excluding from the conservation easement approximately 10 acres where the ranch headquarters are located.
MCA 76-2-206 states:
"In order to minimize conflict with local comprehensive planning, all conservation easements shall be subject to review prior to recording by the appropriate local planning authority for the county within which the land lies. It shall be the responsibility of the entity acquiring the conservation easement to present the proposed conveyance of the conservation easement to the appropriate local planning authority. The local planning authority shall have 90 days from receipt of the proposed conveyance within which to review and to comment upon the relationship of the proposed conveyance to comprehensive planning for the area. Such comments will not be binding on the proposed grantor or grantee but shall be merely advisory in nature. The proposed conveyance may be recorded after comments have been received from the local planning authority or the local planning authority has indicated in writing it will have no comments or 90 days have elapsed, whichever occurs first."
This area is located within a remote and undeveloped part of the county and there are no area specific plans that impact this property. The County Growth Policy does recognize agricultural uses as being important to the economy of Yellowstone County and has been a dominating economic driver for the County. Some of the land in the proposed easement is located in Special Zone District (SZD) 14 and 16. These districts are rural in nature and contemplate very little development and are intended to preserve the rural landscape and most land is zoned agricultural. The Planning Board should review the proposal and provide comment, if any.
STAKEHOLDERS
The Planning Board may solicit public comment, but there is no public hearing for this item.
ALTERNATIVES
The Planning Board may:
- Provide comments on the proposed easement; or
- Not provide comments on the proposed easement.
FISCAL EFFECTS
Not Applicable