Interviewer
Liam Cody
Files
Description
Jim Cusker talks about his work in land conservation with Montana organizations including Five Valleys Land Trust and the Community Food and Agriculture Coalition [CFAC]. Cusker describes how he initially became involved with Five Valleys Land Trust when he realized that much of the land in Grass Valley, west of Missoula, Montana, was being broken up into smaller parcels and sold for housing rather than agriculture. He discusses how he began researching how to put his family’s land into an easement that would protect it from being broken up and sold even after his death. Cusker talks about his eventual service on the board of the land trust, and the advocacy work he and the other members do to encourage other landowners to consider easements. He describes the misconception that many people have about easements, which allow the landowner to still own and retain their land, but the trust helps manage it so the entire property remains intact long after the original owner is gone. Cusker details his concern about the loss of agricultural land around Missoula and the state of Montana as more housing developments are being built and larger land tracts are broken up. He compares that to when his family originally homesteaded in the early 1900s and how the land back then was stewarded because it provided families with sustenance and income.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Grass Valley, Montana; Missoula, Montana; Farming, Montana; Ranching, Montana; Family business; Family farm; Science education; Science teachers; High school teachers; Land management; Biology; Zoology; Education, Montana; High schools, Montana; Havre, Montana; Animal husbandry; 4-H; Agriculture; Agriculture education; Land conservation; Land easement; Natural resources; Clark Fork River; Great Depression (1929-1939); Land ownership; Community Food and Agriculture Coalition [CFAC]; Five Valleys Land Trust; Land conservation, Montana; Housing development
Original Date
11-1-2019
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Henry James “Jim” Cusker Oral History Project, OH 469, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana
Digital Publisher
University of Montana--Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections at the University of Montana, Mansfield Library.
Oral History Number
OH 469-002
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 MP3 file (01:51:01 min.): digital + 1 transcript (16 pp.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
01:51:01 minutes
Local Filename
OH_469_002.mp3; OH_469_002.pdf
Citation
Cusker, Henry James, "Jim Cusker Interview, November 1, 2019" (2019). Henry James "Jim" Cusker Oral History Project. 1.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/jimcusker_oralhistory/1