02/04/2002

The Associated Press

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho - The Nature Conservancy is buying a 350-acre conservation easement near its Ball Creek Ranch to protect surrounding timberland from development.

The ranch is located in Boundary County, south of the Canadian border.

The timberland, owned by Crown Pacific, will continue to be harvested, but the easement prevents development from encroaching on the 2,600-acre ranch.

In Saturday's announcement, the Conservancy agreed to pay more than $230,000 to Crown Pacific to prevent development on the land.

Money for the project came from a grant through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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