State officials have advanced a conservation easement that will cement permanent protection over a large swathe of the Cabinet Mountains. Under the agreement, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks agency will hold the development rights while Green Diamond Montana Timberlands keeps ownership and continues sustainable logging, ensuring the land remains a working forest. The project carries a price tag of $17.1 million, with Green Diamond contributing nearly $5.75 million in in‑kind value, reducing the state's share to about $11.35 million. A public hearing slated for September 23 at Plains High School invites residents to weigh in, with written comments accepted until September 26. If the deal closes, the easement will lock in development restrictions and open the forest for hunting, hiking and other outdoor recreation, preserving a critical corridor for wildlife.