10-02-2004, 03:31 PM
Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on a proposed land exchange that would allow a railroad spur to connect with the malting plant north of Great Falls.
The International Malting Company wants a rail spur to hook up with a Burlington Northern rail line near Rainbow Dam on the Missouri River. The spur would cross 3 acres of PP&L land that is also part of the Lewis & Clark Heritage Greenway Conservation Easement.
While the open space easement, held by FWP, forbids development, MCA 76-6-107 allows for a land exchange in order to convert open-space land.
The Great Falls Development Authority with the assistance of IMC is proposing to buy 20 acres of additional grassland from LTH Farms and donate with an open-space easement to PP&L in exchange for building the rail spur across the existing easement.
The 20 acres is less than half a mile from and nearly identical to the original easement acreage. It is also contiguous and would be added to lands subject to the existing conservation easement. The proposed rail spur is located in the NE 1/4 SE 1/4 of Section 27 and the 20 acres is in the E 1/2 NE 1/4 of Section 27 Township 21 North, Range 4 East.
An environmental assessment of the proposal is available on the FWP website, [url "http://www.fwp.state.mt.us/publicnotices/show.aspx?id=680"]L&C Heritage Greenway Conservation Easement Amendment - Draft[/url], at the FWP Region 4 office, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59405. Or call 454-5840.
Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., Nov. 1, 2004, can be mailed to: L&C Heritage Greenway Conservation Easement EA, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59405. Or email comments to: [url "mailto:maderhold@state.mt.us"]maderhold@state.mt.us[/url] .
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The International Malting Company wants a rail spur to hook up with a Burlington Northern rail line near Rainbow Dam on the Missouri River. The spur would cross 3 acres of PP&L land that is also part of the Lewis & Clark Heritage Greenway Conservation Easement.
While the open space easement, held by FWP, forbids development, MCA 76-6-107 allows for a land exchange in order to convert open-space land.
The Great Falls Development Authority with the assistance of IMC is proposing to buy 20 acres of additional grassland from LTH Farms and donate with an open-space easement to PP&L in exchange for building the rail spur across the existing easement.
The 20 acres is less than half a mile from and nearly identical to the original easement acreage. It is also contiguous and would be added to lands subject to the existing conservation easement. The proposed rail spur is located in the NE 1/4 SE 1/4 of Section 27 and the 20 acres is in the E 1/2 NE 1/4 of Section 27 Township 21 North, Range 4 East.
An environmental assessment of the proposal is available on the FWP website, [url "http://www.fwp.state.mt.us/publicnotices/show.aspx?id=680"]L&C Heritage Greenway Conservation Easement Amendment - Draft[/url], at the FWP Region 4 office, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59405. Or call 454-5840.
Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m., Nov. 1, 2004, can be mailed to: L&C Heritage Greenway Conservation Easement EA, Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 4600 Giant Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59405. Or email comments to: [url "mailto:maderhold@state.mt.us"]maderhold@state.mt.us[/url] .
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