More than 15,000 acres of Plum Creek Timber Co. land northwest of Whitefish will be conserved through an agreement announced Monday by the company and The Trust for Public Land.

The acreage is almost fully surrounded by the Stillwater State Forest except for a couple of parcels that border private land, said Tom Ray, vice president of Northwest resources and manufacturing for Plum Creek.

Under the agreement, The Trust for Public Land will have an option to purchase 1,920 acres and establish a conservation easement on the remaining 13,414 acres that Plum Creek will continue to own and manage as a working forest.

The purchased property includes three sections at the south end of Plum Creek’s land, according to Jerry Sorenson, Plum Creek’s senior director of north land asset management.

“Those sections, right off Lupfer Road, are more accessible,” Sorenson said. “That land has more value because of its potential.”

All of the land in the agreement will be conserved, however, he added. Eventually the trust’s purchased property will be transferred into public ownership or to a conservation buyer.

The agreement is subject to final conditions including appraisal and secured funding, Ray said.

“This project has a long way to go,” he said.

The trust approached Plum Creek about four months ago about forging a conservation agreement.

“We’ve had great success in the past with conservation work, and Plum Creek has a strong history of partnering with conservation organizations,” Ray said.

A press release from Plum Creek pointed out the conservation easement aims to protect the Whitefish area’s fish and wildlife habitat, provide continued access for outdoor recreation and allow sustainable forest management. It will also help protect Whitefish Lake, from which the city of Whitefish gets a portion of its drinking water.

The eastern edge of Plum Creek’s property is about 1 1/2 miles as the crow flies from Whitefish Lake, Ray said.

Ray said he expects Plum Creek will be approached by Whitefish Legacy Partners about trail easements once the agreement is finalized. The Whitefish Trail is the anchor project of Whitefish Legacy Partners. To date the nonprofit organization and city of Whitefish have built 26 miles of trail accessed by seven trailheads.

Whitefish Legacy Partners Executive Director Heidi Van Everen said the agreement between the trust and Plum Creek is a significant collaboration for the Whitefish area.

“We’re pretty excited that The Trust for Public Land is working in our local area on these large landscapes,” Van Everen said. “We’re confident the project will include recreation, public access and clean water.”

The Trust for Public Land, a California-based national nonprofit that strives to preserve land for natural areas and open space, was involved in the recent conservation project to secure an easement on more than 3,000 acres of F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. land in the Haskill Basin where the main sources of Whitefish’s drinking water are located.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.