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Welcome to the Flathead River to Lake newsletter.
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Over 1,800 acres recently protected along the Flathead River
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Creston Farmer Protects Historic Farm and Creston Soils
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In November last year, Montana Land Reliance worked with Myron and Vicky Mast to place a conservation easement on 731 acres near the Flathead River.
The project safeguards rich farming soils in the Creston area, shallow groundwater that sub-irrigates riparian pastures, forestland, and a portion of Mill Pond (photo courtesy of Montana Land Reliance).
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The Natural Resources Conservation Service's Agricultural Land Easement program and the Richard and Grace Blanchet Fund provided funding for this project. “We are rapidly losing the scenic open rural landscapes that we all love to call home,” said Schiltz. “We need to be creative to find financial tools that help families like the Masts protect their property.”
Read more:
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Egan Slough Conservation Easement Protects Creston Soils and Wetlands
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This January, the Flathead Land Trust worked with Charles and Renate Jaquette to place a conservation easement on their 497-acre farm.
The farm borders Egan Slough, an old oxbow wetland connected to the Flathead River, north of Flathead Lake. The property includes fertile Creston farming soils and stunning wetlands (photo courtesy of Flathead Land Trust).
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The conservation easement was purchased with funding from the Natural Resource Conservation Service Agricultural Land Easement program. This project expands the growing network of protected lands around Egan Slough and along a 50-mile stretch of the Flathead River and north shore of Flathead Lake. "The Jaquette property is an integral piece of the preservation puzzle," wrote the land trust.
Read more:
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The Montana Land Reliance just closed on two new conservation easements along the Flathead River, helping landowners protect an additional 320 acres in the Creston area and 310 acres in the North Fork. Stay tuned for more information or visit our R2L website under 'Success Stories' soon.
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Owen Sowerwine Conservation Project Nearing Completion
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Two major milestones have paved the way for completing the Owen Sowerwine Conservation project. Funding to purchase a conservation easement on the 405-acre property was successfully secured last fall.
Additionally, the Montana Land Board unanimously approved the purchase of the conservation easement on state land, paving the way for closing the project later this spring. Stay tuned for more news and upcoming celebrations!
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"We’re very excited to have received approval from the Land Board to complete the purchased conservation easement to permanently protect Owen Sowerwine. This is an important step forward for the project and we are grateful. We can now move forward to close on this incredible project and hope to do so early in 2024,” said Flathead Land Trust Executive Director Paul Travis.
We are incredibly thankful to the Flathead community for their generosity and support, and the Flathead Land Trust, Flathead Audubon, and Flathead Lakers for their dedication to the project and collaborative fundraising efforts over the past two years. Thank you!
Read more:
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New Wetland Tool Helps Assesses Resilience of Sloughs
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In the lower Flathead Valley, many sloughs occur on private agricultural land, making conservation easements a tried-and-true tool used to protect these wetland areas. As development becomes a greater risk to habitat and water, these easements prove increasingly important for keeping these areas wet and the habitat intact.
Take, for example, Wiley Slough, an old oxbow of Ashley Creek. This area was protected by conservation easements put into place between 1999 and 2004 by five families who worked with both the Flathead Land Trust and Montana Land Reliance to protect the slough in its entirety. Not only does it protect this area from development, but it provides an important link in the chain of habitat between the Ashley Creek corridor and the North Shore of Flathead Lake.
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Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners have long recognized the importance of wetland habitat within the floodplain of the Flathead River and lower valley tributaries for migratory birds and waterfowl as well as other wildlife. Riparian sloughs are just one example of off-channel wetlands that provide important semi-permanent wetland habitat for migratory birds and waterfowl.
A new wetland-assessing application from the Intermountain West Joint Venture allows us to see just how this conservation easement is helping protect this important riparian slough. Using the resiliency layer of the Wetland Evaluation Tool (WET), we can see that the slough has stayed wet (white area) and even gotten wetter in some areas (blue areas) over the last few decades—even amidst drought that has caused other wetland areas to dry up.
When it comes to visualizing how our conservation is making a difference for wetlands and waterbird habitat, WET is a great tool to use to enhance on-the-ground knowledge and data collection. Find out more about how the tool works over at the Intermountain West Joint Venture’s website or contact the IWJV’s Water 4 Coordinator Erica Hansen at erica.hansen@iwjv.org.
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New Living in Flathead Guide Launched
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The "Living in the Flathead" Guide is a new online resource that invites newcomers, residents, and visitors to discover ways to coexist with the Flathead's stunning natural beauty. As the Flathead Valley undergoes significant growth, the Guide offers insights into the realities of life in the Flathead, encouraging practices that promote harmonious living with wildlife, protect water quality, and bolster local communities.
With the coordination of the Flathead Lakers, more than 25 contributors, knowledgeable about each topic, compiled the Guide. Delve into the 'Living in the Flathead' Guide to explore each topic and learn about activities and events that facilitate learning and connection.
Read more in the news: Daily Inter Lake; Hungry Horse News.
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Collaborative Capacity and Landscape Stewardship Webinar
Wednesday, January 31st, 10:00 am
The Network for Landscape Conservation is hosting the inaugural webinar of the Landscape Conservation in Action webinar series. The webinar will present the findings of a recent study, commissioned by the California Landscape Stewardship Network. The study explores how collaborative capacity can enhance conservation and stewardship outcomes on the ground. For more information and to register visit their website.
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Science on Tap: Montana’s Hidden Owls
Thursday, February 1, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Join the Flathead Lakers and the Flathead Lake Biological Station for Science on Tap at the Flathead Lake Brewing Company on 116 Holt Drive in Bigfork. Beth Mendelsohn, from the Owl Research Institute, will talk about "Montana’s Hidden Owls: Three Decades of Research and Discovery."
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Winter Weeds & Seeds Nature Walk
Saturday, February 10th, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Join the Flathead Conservation District for a stroll in their Demonstration Garden, located at 133 Interstate Lane in Kalispell. Explore the beautiful shapes and patterns of winter, identify winter food sources for wildlife, and learn how creatures survive winter in native gardens. For more information or to reserve a space, please call 406-752-4220.
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Flathead River to Lake Initiative meeting
Wednesday, February 14, 9 am - 12 pm
The Flathead R2L Initiative quarterly meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 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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Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent Annual Gathering
February 20 - 21
The Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent annual meeting will take place on February 20 - 21 in Lethbridge, Canada. The focus of the meeting will be on climate change and conservation, with an emphasis on reconciling Indigenous and Western perspectives. For more information please click here.
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Free the Seeds
Saturday, March 2, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Join Land to Hand Montana for the "Tiny Seeds, Big Impact" Seed Giveaway & Workshop Fair. This annual event is held at the Flathead Valley Community College. For more information or to host a booth, please visit the Free the Seeds website.
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Watch this video by the Flathead Audubon Society to learn about the origins of 'natives,' the intricate relationships between native plants, insects, and birds, and discover ways to help recover dwindling bird populations by growing native plants on your own property.
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