A proposal to exchange federal and private acreage in the Crazy Mountains and near Big Sky has been slightly altered for final public comment. The deal would exchange 3,855 acres of federal land for 6,110 acres of private property owned by six different parties. Under the draft decision issued by the Custer Gallatin National Forest on Wednesday, the agency is now proposing to keep some acreage along Sweet Grass Creek in the Crazies to ensure public access to the waterway and to protect important wetlands. The agreement also keeps some property previously proposed for exchange near Big Sky to ensure snowmobile and motorized access in the area. The initial proposal drew more than 1,000 public comments, some of them critical of the agency for abandoning the fight for access to old Forest Service trails in the Crazy Mountains and others for trading lowland wildlife habitat for high country “rock and ice.” If approved, this would be the fourth land deal in the Crazy Mountains, which is covered with checkerboard blocks of private land. To learn more, or to read the documents, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/custer-gallatin-national-forest-crazy-mountains-big-sky-yellowstone-club/article_a59975d4-5d83-11ee-9f1f-8badfdadda0c.html
Written by Brett French | Outdoors editor of Billings Gazette Communications
