Authority reports 1,500 acres added and monitoring activity during annual update

At the end of the meeting staff gave a brief progress report on acquisitions and stewardship, saying seven easements or amendments recorded roughly 1,500 acres this year and three specific easements were recorded: Oakfields (north of Free Union), Urgler (in Whitehall) and Carlson (near Reagan Mountain). Staff said a McCormic Greywood transaction that was ready to record fell through when the landowner withdrew.

Staff described stewardship work funded in part by VLCF funds that supports a part-time easement field monitor, identified in the report as Montana Loca. The monitor completed visits to 66 easements last year; staff also handled five approval requests (including utility easements and pre-harvest plans) and investigated nine violations, most of which staff said were resolved or are being addressed.

Staff displayed charts showing recorded easements and acreage over time and noted a peak in the late 2000s followed by a recent dip in recorded acreage. Staff offered to provide more detail by request and said they would distribute the one-pager summarizing acquisitions and stewardship work.

During new business, members also noted that Dominion has announced broader plans that could cross conserved lands (including areas near Strawberry Farm); staff and members said the community is organized and watching potential impacts. The report did not include specific budget figures for these activities.

The authority did not take formal action on the acquisitions report; staff will circulate the detailed materials to members on request.