Weyerhaeuser selling land in NW MT

[wind gypsy]

Weyerhaeuser deal could block access to thousands of acres of land, Lincoln County officials say

A company thats previously sold lands to a pair of brothers known for closing public access to thousands of a

www.hungryhorsenews.com

Pretty alarming news coming out of NW MT. Would be a mess if the Wilks end up with this land.. I learned to elk hunt up there in the timberland/USFS checkerboard areas. The elk population has been hurting but it’s still a special place.

 

[5MilesBack]

If I'd only won that $1.5 billion powerball a couple years ago......darn it.

 

[nodakian]

Much of that acreage has already been harvested (using unsustainable practices so it will struggle to regenerate), but it could easily be subdivided and sold as luxury properties. On the other hand, access to most of it would be cost prohibitive for even high end development, so it’ll be interesting—and probably maddening—to see how it goes.

 

[gfreidy]

Doubt it will turn out ok for public. Especially with those brothers involved.

 

[wind gypsy]

If I'd only won that $1.5 billion powerball a couple years ago......darn it.

Haha, I had a similar thought! $145 mil might be worth it for that spread!

 

[Salmon River Solutions]

Ya, I wouldn't doubt the Wilks Bros end up with it.

 

[matthewmt]

I've seen this first hand, recently did a job that requires going behind weyerhauser Gates and a 20+ minute drive up the mountain, (down the swan, hwy83) with miles of private behind the gate.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[WV Mountaineer]

They are an investment group much like Plum Creek was or, currently like the Heartwood Forest Land Group. Only smaller. They raise money from investors and buy timber lands. The selling point to the investors is that over head costs of owning the land and returning on the investment will be accomplished by harvesting timber and, in more rare cases, leasing any mineral rights that might exist with properties procured during it's ownership by the investment group. So, if the land in question has not been properly managed for long term sustainability concerning available surface resources, it usually means the investor has a plan on selling the property to make their money.

Because gas and mineral rights to lands many of these investment groups purchase, is often already owned and not for sale when they buy the surface, it leaves just the timber to cover the return to the investor. If that isn't available, then land resale is the only hope they have to make money. However, the purchase price for this piece of land is very cheap/acre. Roughly $230 an acre. So, that means that property has little return value even in a land resale. Which is not uncommon on rural timber lands of this size

I know absolutely nothing about the property in question. The purchaser of the property. Or, who the SPP group usually sells large tracts to. But, i know these investment firms look to try and break these large tracts up into smaller tracts if there are available buyers. Because return will be better. And, that is where the investment group itself makes its real coin. By many 1000-2000 acre land resales versus one huge land sale. Through out the history of these resource based investment groups, some funds return 700-800% of expected and required return to these investment groups while some have never resold due to having no development potential.

What all this means is SPP isn't buying the land in order to micro manage the sale of small parcels most people could afford. It's hoping to buy the land and resale it to 100 or so different buyers to make the most money. But, will likely sell it to one single buyer after having to set on it a long time. And, with the kinds of money these firms raise for timber land investment, at $230/acre of investment, they can set on it a LONG time. Plus there likely is some form of timber resource to help offset a potential dead cost to ownership.

No one really knows how this will play out. But, for the best interest of continued public use, it'd sure help if a decent amount of the timber resource was in a condition to harvest and put through those remaining mills.

 

[mt100gr.]

I've seen this first hand, recently did a job that requires going behind weyerhauser Gates and a 20+ minute drive up the mountain, (down the swan, hwy83) with miles of private behind the gate.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

Are you talking multiple ownership private lands or a big chunk of timber company land? Which general areas is this?

I grew up in condon. The Swan is a special place for me but its definitely changing. ...

 

[matthewmt]

Large multi box mail box outside the gate, changes were made on the general use billboard as well. This is about a mile maybe past the weigh station heading south.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[dihardhunter]

This sucks. Thats amongst my favorite country to spring bear hunt.

 

[Bowhunter65]

I look out my window of my house and my office at work, the mountains I look at are Weyerhauser. The amount of people that could be impacted are tremendous. The one common thing I think about is that Southern Pines sold to the wilks brothers, period. I hope and pray we can come up with a solution with all our different organizations. I bought my home over 20 years ago thinking we were in heaven being surrounded by Plumcreek Timber company. The people in Idaho that were surrounded by Potlatch more than likely felt the same. This heavy on so many peoples minds, we had a Christmas party and this was the main subject of what will our child and grandchildren have to recreate on here in Region 1, near home. My 15 year son said I will move to where I can hunt and fish.

The impact on managing our wildlife will be super hard, that is a huge factor in a already heavy predator filled region.

The light green in the OnX picture is the Lost Trail US Fish & wildlife Refuge. The ridges in the pictures are Dregger Ridge on the south side of the refuge. They were taken from my office,

 

[bowhunterjae]

Terrible news!

 

[tdhanses]

Wish I had the money, I’d offer double but doubt I’d keep it open to the public after spending that much. That was cheap, a guy from TX bought 130,000 acres in CO for more in the last year or two and he has to allow locals to harvest timber due to a treaty from There are others that have the means to buy then the wilkes brothers.