The county issued Jim Adair Sr. a cease-and-desist order Friday to stop cutting trees on approximately 10 acres of his property that was dedicated to the county 14 years ago by the previous owner for a conservation easement.
However, by the time county officials received word of the violation, much of the damage had already been done.
Angry neighbors took issue last Friday with Adair's project and notified the county. The 82-year-old said last week that he didn't know the land was part of a conservation easement. He said he was thinning his property to protect his home from forest fires.
In a letter signed by the commissioners Wednesday, the county ordered Adair to “consult with appropriate professionals to propose a restoration plan.” The county gave Adair 10 days to report to the Rural Initiatives office to discuss his remediation plans.
That may include planting trees and “re-establishing a functioning native riparian plant community,” said the letter prepared by Deputy County Attorney Mike Sehestedt.
Adair will pay all costs associated with preparing and implementing the restoration plan. Should he fail to restore the land, the county will move forward with a restoration plan at his expense, according to the letter.
Also, the county is requesting Adair identify an “alternative riparian site for the period required to restore the easement area to the condition it existed” prior to the violation, according to the letter. The land must have equivalent conservation value.
The county threatened legal remedies if Adair failed to comply with the requests.
Johnson Bros. Contracting cut the cottonwood trees for Adair on both his property and on the conservation easement. The workers cut the trees for free in exchange for keeping the logs. Adair said last week he wanted to plant maple trees instead.
Adair did not return phone messages requesting comment for this story.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
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