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Welcome to the quarterly River to Lake newsletter.
Issue 43 | Summer 2021

Conservation

Your letters of support for the Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project are needed!

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public input on whether it should purchase the 772-acre Bad Rock Conservation project land to be managed as a Wildlife Management Area to protect critical fish and wildlife corridors, water quality, and recreation.

FWP just released a Draft Environmental Assessment for the Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project. You can read the draft environmental assessment and comment on it until Sept. 8, 2021 at 5 p.m. Comments received will be used to form a recommendation on whether to complete the acquisition and this recommendation will be forwarded to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission. If approved, the project would go before the Montana Land Board for final review.

Comments can be sent to MFWP’s Kris Tempel at ktempel@mt.gov or Bad Rock Canyon WMA, MFWP, Attn: Kris Tempel, 490 N. Meridian, Kalispell, MT 59901. Please send in your comments of support for the project!

Somers Beach State Park closer to reality

This spring, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks received the Montana Legislature's green light to purchase the Sliter's property on the North Shore of Flathead Lake to create the Somers Beach State Park when it approved House Bill 5.

The Sliter family generously committed a $125,000 matching challenge to Montana State Parks Foundation for long-term operations and maintenance of the site as a State Park. The Flathead Lakers recently pledged to raise $15,000 to help close the gap. A fundraising drive by the Flathead Land Trust in 2020 raised over $25,000, also matched by the Sliter family.

You can join the Flathead Lakers and R2L partners in supporting the Somers Beach State Park by making a donation to the River to Lake Conservation Fund, or by sending a check to Flathead Lakers, P.O. Box 70, Polson, MT 59860 (add note on check: "R2L Conservation.")
Support Somers Beach State Park

Funding Assistance

Septic system maintenance reimbursement program

The Montana Association of Conservation Districts is offering assistance for property owners who live near bodies of water in Flathead and Lake counties. Reimbursements up to $200 are available to help cover the cost of maintaining a septic system.  The purpose of this program is to address nutrient loading to surface waters in the Flathead Basin from onsite septic systems by encouraging and assisting residents to maintain their systems.

Visit the Flathead Conservation District's website at Septic Maintenance Reimbursement Program for more information and eligibility requirements.

Events


Join the 2021 Flathead Waters Cleanup this Saturday, August 14th, between 9 am and 3 pm, to clean up trash in and around the waterbodies of Flathead County.

After the cleanup, at 4 pm, join everyone at Sacred Waters Brewery for food, drinks, and chances to win prizes based on creative trash categories. Trash can cause harm to aquatic ecosystems and can prevent us from enjoying our favorite places. Our goal is to keep our favorite natural areas clean – for us and for the fish!

REGISTER HERE
All about Rain Gardens

Thursday August 19, 6 pm
Center for Native Plants Nursery

Learn what rain gardens are and how to build one. Space is limited. Please register here to attend the event.
Birds of Prey Festival

Saturday September 18, 9 am - 2 pm
Lone Pine State Park

Save the date for this free family-friendly educational event. For more information check Flathead Audubon's website.
Flathead River to Lake Initiative
is a collaborative effort to conserve and restore our Flathead River and Lake natural heritage - excellent water quality, outstanding scenic and recreational values, abundant fish and wildlife, and prime farm land.
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