Clagstone Meadows, a large expanse of timberland owned by Stimson Lumber Company, was recently protected under the terms of a Forest Legacy Conservation Easement to benefit wildlife, local economies, clean water, and it will open for public recreation this summer.
Clagstone Meadows is located in southern Bonner County, just off U.S. 95 between Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint. At 13,169 acres, the property’s forests, fields, wetlands, and ponds provide thousands of board feet of timber per year to local mills, as well as important habitat for a variety of big game species, including elk, black bear, moose, mountain lion, bobcat and large numbers of white tail deer.
Idaho Department of Lands Forest Legacy Program, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and The Trust for Public Land raised $9.5 million to purchase the permanent easement, which included federal funding from the Forest Legacy Program and Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act.
Pittman-Robertson funds are raised through the sale of firearms and ammunition, and then distributed to the states for wildlife conservation. Forest Legacy funds originate from the Land and Water Conservation Fund – royalties paid by energy companies drilling for oil and gas on public land. The Trust for Public Land secured a substantial private donation. In conjunction with Stimson’s land conservation effort, they sold the conservation easement at significantly less than full market value – a conservation donation that will forever benefit the people of Idaho.
Clagstone Meadows is Stimson’s largest contiguous holding in Bonner County. The land will continue to be owned and managed by the Stimson Lumber Company, a family-owned business that is one of the oldest, continuously operating wood products companies in the United States. Stimson has managed timber in Idaho for several decades, giving local families well-paying jobs and keeping timber mills in production – both crucial to the local economy.
As part of the easement, 8,847 acres of Clagstone Meadows and 1,266 acres within the Cape Horn area near Bayview, will be open for conditional public use. Year-round recreational opportunities will be available for the public starting Aug. 1. Clagstone Meadows visitors will be required to register daily at one of four access points. Only non-motorized (sorry no horses) daily use will be permitted. Additional rules will be posted and provided to public at the access sites and online.
The Stimson Lumber Company has reserved 4,322 acres of the Clagstone Meadows for company use with no public access. Clagstone Meadows is still private property and working timber lands. People must respect Stimson’s lands, forest operations, equipment, and infrastructure, as well as the closed Stimson Reserve area.
Work is currently being done to develop the four access sites, signage, area maps and public-use information. Stimson Lumber Company and the easement partners appreciate no visitors before the public opener.
Anyone with questions can call Fish and Game's regional at (208) 769-1414.