Plum Creek land sells for $250 million

Two conservation groups on Tuesday announced the purchase of 111,740 acres of Plum Creek Timber Co. lands in Western Montana for $250 million. The purchase is the second phase of the Montana Legacy Project, which ultimately will involve a total of 320,000 acres of Plum Creek lands being conveyed to state or federal agencies for a total price tag of $510 million. The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land said the most recent closing involves lands in the Clearwater, Lolo, Rock Creek and Swan valleys that eventually will be conveyed to the U.S. Forest Service. The checkerboard lands in the Swan total 44,821 acres. Money for the purchase came from provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill crafted by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont...Daily Inter Lake