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Commission approves Fish and Wildlife habitat easement after board drops prior condition
Summary
After extended discussion about drainage and future maintenance, Stevens County commissioners approved certification for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service perpetual habitat easement on private land; board removed an earlier condition requiring a preexisting private drainage agreement.
Stevens County commissioners voted to certify a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) perpetual habitat easement on private land after lengthy public discussion over drainage, culverts and future maintenance.
The easement — described in the USFWS presentation and shown on maps in the packet — would protect the land as wildlife habitat in perpetuity while the land remains privately owned. The applicant, Michael (USFWS/Bigname representative), said the easement would be recorded in property deeds and the land would remain taxable. The board had previously attached a condition requiring a private drainage/maintenance agreement to precede certification; at this meeting Fish and Wildlife requested removal of that precondition and the board approved certification without the preexisting drainage agreement.
Commissioners and landowners discussed concerns about an 18-inch culvert and how future vegetation (cattails, willows) could impede water flow. USFWS and DNR staff said future maintenance actions to restore or clear the outlet could be authorized through a Fish and Wildlife special use permit, and the DNR noted that a public-waters permitting process is also available to address drainage or culvert issues without altering the DNR-mandated water-elevation restoration level (e.g., 1160.4 elevation cited in staff notes).
Why it matters: the easement converts private land into protected wildlife habitat in perpetuity under a federal program while keeping ownership private and maintaining property taxes. Neighbors had sought a prior maintenance/drainage agreement to ensure they could clear the outlet; Fish and Wildlife and DNR staff explained special-use permits and public-waters permitting as mechanisms to address future maintenance while protecting the restored wetland elevation.
How the vote went: the board approved certification after a motion to remove the earlier condition. One commissioner recorded a vote against the motion, but the motion passed by majority vote.
