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Welcome to the quarterly River to Lake newsletter.
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Owen Sowerwine Conservation Project
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Events kick off fundraisers to permanently protect the Owen Sowerwine property
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Flathead Land Trust, Flathead Audubon Society, and Flathead Lakers kicked off fundraising to raise $775,000 to purchase a conservation easement on the Owen Sowerwine property. The project would conserve this unique property in perpetuity while providing sustainable income for K-12 schools.
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Flathead River in Paint Art Auction
Paintings completed by 14 artists in “plein air” support an online silent auction, raising funds to permanently conserve Owen Sowerwine. The online auction, organized by the Flathead Land Trust, runs through December 7th. Visit the AUCTION website to view the artwork and bid on a painting, helping protect this unique conservation project.
"These exceptionally talented artists captured a variety of ecosystems in multiple different forms of media," wrote the Flathead Land Trust. Paintings were on display at the Montana Modern Fine Art for one week in November. Some of the paintings are currently on display at Parkside Credit Union branches throughout the Flathead Valley through Dec. 7.
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2022 Giving Tuesday Campaign
The Flathead Lakers 2022 Giving Tuesday campaign raised over $6,000 for the Owen Sowerwine conservation project. This campaign helped kick start fundraising for this project. The Lakers committed to raising $65,000 to contribute to the project over the next year.
The Flathead Lakers coordinate the Flathead River to Lake Conservation Fund which funds partners' conservation projects.
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Why Protect the Owen Sowerwine Property?
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Owen Sowerwine is a 442-acre haven in one of the most complex sections of the Flathead River. A purchased conservation easement would protect the property’s vital habitat, ensure public access, and provide revenue for Montana schools.
Owen Sowerwine is State School Trust land administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. As State School Trust land its purpose is to generate revenue for Montana K-12 public schools. Thus, its future as natural habitat with public access is not secure. In order to generate revenue for schools, Owen Sowerwine could be used for cabin sites, agriculture, grazing, timber sales, or residential or commercial uses.
A purchased conservation easement would protect the property’s vital habitat, ensure public access, and provide revenue for Montana schools. Click here to read more...
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The Path to Permanently Protect Owen Sowerwine. Flathead Land Trust is building support for a conservation easement on the popular DNRC-owned natural area at the braided confluence of the Flathead and Stillwater rivers, by Tristan Scott, Flathead Beacon, October 27, 2022.
Conservation initiative marks two decades of protecting critical lands, by Kate Heston, Daily Inter Lake, November 29, 2022.
Giving Back to Owen Sowerwine. Through the “Flathead River in Paint” online art auction and GivingTuesday, local organizations are raising money to support a conservation easement near the confluence of the Flathead and Stillwater rivers, by Tristan Scott, Fltathead Beacon, November 25, 2022
Land trust holds fundraiser for Owen Sowerwine project, Daily Inter Lake, November 6, 2022.
Public comment sought for Owen Sowerwine conservation easement, by Hayden Blackford, Daily Inter Lake, October 25, 2022.
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City of Kalispell unveils new citizen stewardship program to help maintain storm drains in their neighborhood. The new Adopt-A-Drain Program will help prevent flooding and keep neighborhood streets clean.
Stormwater is rain or snow/ice melt that flows across the landscape. As it flows, it has the potential to pick up and carry pollutants, including nutrients from yard or pet waste as well as trash. In cities, stormwater cannot be absorbed by buildings and roads, as in a forest or grasslands. Instead, it flows to storm drains and ditches, which empty directly into our rivers and streams, often without treatment.
To function properly, storm drains need to be cleaned and maintained regularly. Over time, they accumulate sediment and debris that must be removed to prevent clogging and the discharge of sediment and pollutants into our waterways. Ready to Adopt? Click here to learn more.
25 Storm Drains Adopted already! Thank you to this early volunteers helping our Kalispell community stay clean and safe for everyone!
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Birding on the North Shore of Flathead Lake WPA on the winter solstice.
Dec. 21, noon - 3 pm
Join Flathead Audubon bird enthusiasts on the winter solstice for an afternoon walk of birding along Flathead Lake’s north shore - an area encompassing over 1,800 acres and mix of habitats. For more information contact Shannon at shannon@flatheadaudubon.org or 406-261-3466.
Field trips are free and open to the public. Please check field trip guidelines on Flathead Audubon website.
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Flathead River to Lake Initiative meeting
January 11, 9 am - 12 pm
The Flathead R2L Initiative quarterly meeting will be on Wednesday, Jan.11, from 9:00 am till noon at the MT Fish Wildlfe and Parks Conference room in Kalispell. For more information, contact Constanza von der Pahlen at constanza@flatheadlakers.org or 406-883-1341.
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