State board OKs North Shore land purchase

The Montana Land Board on Tuesday unanimously approved an addition to the North Shore Waterfowl Management Area, clearing the way for the state wildlife agency to close on the property.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service both signed off on the $489,000 deal last week.

Alan Wood, the regional land conservation manager for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said after last week’s vote that the state could officially acquire the property as soon as mid-February. Funding comes from a 25 percent land donation from the current property owner and a grant using federal money from taxes on guns and ammunition.

The state agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will jointly manage the property, focusing on migratory waterfowl protections while continuing annual crop production.

It will bring the total area of the waterfowl management area to 266 acres.