Duck Creek owners won't wait forever

By SCOTT McMILLION, Chronicle Staff Writer

A critical piece of wildlife habitat north of West Yellowstone could still become public land someday, but the patience of the current owners will not hold out forever, a member of an investment group said Thursday.

"If something comes up as far as funding by the government, sure we're interested," said John Costello, one of 11 investors in the Duck Creek Partners. "Are we going to wait forever? No."

Costello spoke in response to a recent decision by Congress not to allocate $2.5 million to purchase 427 acres known as the Duck Creek Wetlands, a piece of land that provides key habitat for grizzly bears, moose, elk, bison and other creatures.

The Gallatin National Forest had hoped to buy the land by the end of this year. The U.S. Senate allocated money for it, but a joint House-Senate committee cut the funds in last-minute budget dickering earlier this month.

Officials from the U.S. Forest Service and the Trust for Public Land, which helped broker the deal, both said they hope to work out a deal in the future. But the earliest the money could be allocated is 2004.

Costello, a West Yellowstone businessman, said the investors include two people from that town and the others are from around the West.

The land is now zoned to allow a house every five acres.

Wildlife professionals say building a bunch of houses there could result in dead grizzly bears in the area.

The land abuts Duck Creek and Hebgen Lake, just west of U.S. Highway 191 at the Duck Creek Wye.

Costello said the group hasn't analyzed the land -- a portion of which is swamp -- to see how many houses would be practical.

The group has set no deadlines, but needs to do something with the land, he said.

"Whether we sell it, develop it, whatever, we've got to do something with it," he said.

But those options include listening to offers from public entities, he said.

"We're still willing to listen," he said. "We're open."

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