Summary of results
In 2005 Avista ensured the perpetual protection of 1,800 acres of former mining and timber company lands and the restoration of 3,000 feet of streambed, allowing bull trout access to historic spawning grounds.

River
The Clark Fork Project is located on the Clark Fork River. The Clark Fork River originates at the confluence of Silver Bow and Warm Springs Creeks (near Butte, Montana) and winds 340 miles through western Montana to northeastern Idaho. Just inside the Idaho border, the Clark Fork reaches its end at Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in the state of Idaho. The Noxon Rapids development is located at river mile 170, and the Cabinet Gorge development is located at river mile 150.

Project and Energy
The Clark Fork Hydroelectric Project (FERC License 2058), is owned and operated by Avista Utilities, and consists of the Cabinet Gorge and Noxon Rapids developments. Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge are located along the lower Clark Fork River, in northern Idaho and northwest Montana.

The Clark Fork Hydroelectric Project generates an average of 2.8 million megawatt-hours per year, enough power to meet the annual energy needs of 235,000 households. Noxon Rapids includes five turbine generator units, while Cabinet Gorge includes four turbine generator units. Altogether, the electricity generated at the Clark Fork Hydroelectric Project avoids approximately 800,000 tons of carbon per year.

Environmental Stewardship
The completion of an extensive fisheries and wildlife habitat protection acquisition known as the Bull River Wildlife Management Area will ensure perpetual protection of 1,800 acres of former mining and timber company lands, including the mainstem Bull River, a critical habitat for the threatened bull trout. The area is also home to a variety of wildlife, wetlands and forests.

Historical Information
Under the umbrella of the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, 28 parties, including Avista, agencies, NGOs, Native American Tribes and others continued working together to collaboratively address natural resource issues in the Clark Fork River corridor.

The collaborative process to relicense the Clark Fork Project began in 1996 and included representatives from federal and state agencies, five tribes, non-government organizations, conservation groups, property owners and Avista. The team met over a period of three years and forged the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement. A new FERC license for the project became effective on March 1, 2001, although implementation began prior to issuance of the license.

The Settlement Agreement created a Living License© concept which promotes ongoing problem solving through adaptive management. The adaptive management process requires a committee of signatories to the agreement to meet regularly, monitoring the success and direction of implementation efforts. If resource goals are not met, changes to the direction of the program are made with the committee's input and direction.

The Clark Fork Project has accomplished a multitude of protection, mitigation and enhancement efforts throughout the Clark Fork River corridor. These efforts have resulted in direct benefits to aquatic and terrestrial resources, habitat protection and restoration, improved recreation facilities, and protection of cultural resources. One common theme on the Clark Fork is the continued collaboration between all the stakeholders in the design and implementation of the various natural resource projects

Challenges
Because preserving more than 1800 acres of former mining and timber company lands was beyond the scope of the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement, securing large amounts of money within a short time frame was a challenge. Property owners needed a quick return, while potential buyers required organizational approval and funding. Although everyone shared the goal of protecting this unique area, it required all parties to set aside individual agendas in favor of a common result. The project had to meet the objectives of the Avista Clark Fork Project License and Settlement Agreement, the Montana Environmental Policy Act, and the rules and regulations governing grants for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project also required the approval of the Clark Fork Project Management Committee, The Conservation Fund, Plum Creek Timber Company and Sterling/Genesis Mining Company boards of directors, and the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission.

Innovation
A third party, The Conservation Fund, provided bridge funding and professional support while participants gained approval and secured necessary funding for the large acquisitions. Clark Fork Settlement Agreement dollars were leveraged to obtain a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Specifically, Avista donated a conservation easement on 550 acres of property, the value of which provided the private match dollars necessary for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to receive over $4 million in federal grant monies to acquire the remaining lands in fee title. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will manage approximately 1,250 acres to the north, and Avista will manage the remaining 550-acre southern portion.

Cooperation/Collaboration
The project involved the partnership of a diverse group of organizations. Avista and the Clark Fork Settlement Agreement Management Committee were initially approached to purchase a parcel of land (for conservation) from the Sterling/Genesis Mining Company. The Conservation Fund provided bridge funding for the purchase until Clark Fork Settlement Agreement dollars could be made available for property purchase. An Avista grant writer worked with the State of Montana and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop two successful proposals for funding for additional property. Sterling/Genesis Mining Company donated some of the value for the fee title acquisition and was willing to carry the contract over a two-year period to accommodate the sale. Plum Creek Timber Company willingly withdrew properties from the market to allow the parties time to acquire the entire tract. Ongoing property management will involve a partnership between Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Avista.

Accomplishments
More than 1800 acres of former mining and timber company lands, parts of which were on market for subdivision, are now in perpetual preservation. The breathtaking acreage is located just downstream of the confluence of the north, middle, and south forks of the Bull River. The Bull River has been identified as critical habitat for the threatened bull trout and its wetlands provide important cooling and flow during dry summer months. The area is also a migration corridor and habitat for grizzly bear and is a winter range for deer, elk, and moose.

Future
The project provides protection of an incredible habitat area containing abundant natural resources. It also includes diverse recreational opportunities that might have been lost through residential development. The remaining unused value of the donated conservation easement may be leveraged to apply for a $1 million The North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant for additional habitat protection and restoration activities within the corridor.

What others are saying
"It's great to participate in a process where people acknowledge different viewpoints and ideas. By combining the community awareness of local organizations with the technical expertise of agencies, we are able to find pragmatic solutions to complex problems."-Jim Watkins, Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club, as quoted by Ryan Gilmore, The River Journal, October 12, 2005.

"Thanks to the leadership of Avista and Plum Creek and the commitment of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we are protecting some of the West's most spectacular wildlife habitat and enhancing recreation opportunities for future generations."-Larry Selzer, President, The Conservation Fund, regarding Bull River Wildlife Management Area, As quoted by Jim Mann, The Daily Interlake, May 26, 2005.