With about $13 million in the bank, board members overseeing the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust are gearing up to start spending investment profits on projects.

Money in the trust comes from sales during the past two years of most of the 265 cabin sites at the north end of Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The cabin sites were owned by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, but for decades were leased to private parties.

Most of the properties had some type of permanent home atop them and were of little value to the public, according to those who pressured the BuRec into the sale.

In an effort to make the cabin site sale more palatable to the general public and conservation groups, the federal legislation authorizing the sale required that the bulk of the proceeds be put into a trust.

Those funds are to be used to develop hunting, fishing and sporting access in Montana; at least half of the amount must be spent in the Missouri River watershed, between its headwaters and Holter Reservoir. The other half can be used anywhere in the state.

"This time around ... we are inclined to be focused on the upper Missouri area," said Mike Korn, regional supervisor for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, who is chairman of the joint state/federal board that oversees the trust fund. "But once we get rolling, there will be opportunities statewide."

He said the board expects to have about $200,000 available for projects this year and about $500,000 available annually in the future. He invited people to attend a meeting next week to learn more about how to apply for funding for projects.

"We're hoping at this meeting that we can start accepting applications," Korn said on Friday. "The money is supposed to be directed toward conservation efforts, habitat improvement and access, like conservation easements or land acquisitions."

More specifically, the trust is supposed to fund the purchase of publicly accessible land in Montana in order to restore and conserve fisheries and wildlife habitat; enhance public hunting, fishing and recreational opportunities; and improve public access to public lands.

Korn cautioned that most projects will need to have some kind of organized entity, like a non-profit group or governmental agency, to oversee the work, as opposed to individuals who want the money to enhance their own properties.

Two independent oversight boards -- a Joint State-Federal Board and a Citizen Advisory Board -- are responsible for ensuring the goals of the trust are met.

Board meetings are open to the public and public participation is encouraged.

Meeting information:

The Joint State-Federal Board of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Trust will hold its regular meeting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Helena National Forest Supervisor's Office, 2880 Skyway Drive, Helena. The public is invited to attend.

For more information on the trust, contact Mike Korn at 495-3260.