Discussion of 60-Home Subdivision to Continue at Next Council Meeting

SEELEY LAKE - The 60-home subdivision proposed in Powell County next to the Seeley Lake Airport will continue to be a topic of discussion at Monday’s Community Council meeting, Feb. 12. One of several major issues is the fact that the subdivision would be using Missoula County resources like fire, sheriffs and roads, while paying their taxes to Powell County.

Deborah Bell of Missoula County Public Works will present the County’s GIS project, a county software solution which will help the public get easier access to land records, such as septic and well permits, building permits, deeds, tax information and more.

Lee Boman will give a report on the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BSCA), a project that started 16 years ago and finally was in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee Feb. 7.

“The BSCA is the result of ranchers, loggers, sportsmen, snowmobilers, business owners and wilderness advocates setting aside their differences to find common ground in a landscape we all love,” commented Boman.

He continued, “The BCSA includes the designation of two new recreation areas called the Spread Mountain Recreation Area and the Otasy Recreation Area. The Spread Mountain Recreation Area will be tailored towards mountain biking. The Otasy Recreation Area will be tailored towards snowmobiling. Relatively small additions to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area and the Mission Mountain Wilderness area will protect critical wildlife habitat and corridors.

“In total the BCSA will ensure more hunting, more mountain biking, more hiking, more wildlife, more snowmobiling or in other words more total outdoor recreation,” said Boman. “The BSCA has already triggered more timber activities and will continue to do so. Benefits of the BSCA will be most apparent 50 years from now as the steadily increasing demand for wild and wonderful places to enjoy are stressed by more and more people seeking the ‘Montana’ experience.”

Like always, there will be an opportunity for public comments on non-agenda items.

The informal part of the meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, at the Seeley Lake Historic Museum and Visitors Center, 2920 Highway 83, with pizza and sodas. The formal meeting will begin at

6 p.m.

For further information please contact Klaus von Stutterheim, SLCC Press Contact, at 406-210-8576 or kvs@kvs.org.