Whitefish conservation vision renewed

A vision to preserve public lands around Whitefish that began more than a decade ago is now being realized as the nonprofit spearheading the cause has reached a benchmark in the long-term goal of protecting 13,000 acres of state land.

Whitefish Legacy Partners this month is celebrating more than 3,000 acres of protected lands, more than 37 miles of trail created and a host of education programs, all in conjunction with the first 10 years of the Whitefish School Trust Lands Neighborhood Plan.

“We have created an amazing amenity through the Whitefish Trail and through the permanent conservation of public access on thousands of acres of land,” said Steve Thompson, board secretary for Legacy Partners.

To date Legacy Partners, along with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the city of Whitefish and other community groups, has permanently protected acres of land generating more than $12 million dollars in revenue for the schools and universities of Montana.

Permanent protection involved a variety of projects including land exchanges, a land bank and a public recreation use easement. Short-term projects included trail planning, land use licenses and timber sales.

Heidi Van Everen, executive director of Legacy Partners, said the group is known for creating the Whitefish Trail because so many people use the trail, but it has done so much more.

“There is a bigger vision and it’s a lot of dreaming and hoping, but also follow through to get it done,” she said. “There is a trail that runs through it all, but there is conservation of the land that also protects the viewshed and prevents building homes to protect the watershed. It appeals to loggers to be able to keep the land as a working forest and manage the forest. It just resonates on so many levels.”

This month the Whitefish City Council approved a resolution to extend the Neighborhood Plan through 2024. Representatives from the city, the neighborhood planning committee and the Legacy Partners traveled to Helena Monday to present the State Land Board of Commissioners a progress report to formalize the extension of the plan.

Steve Frye, area manager for the DNRC northwestern land office, wrote an assessment letter certifying that the 10-year goals have been met.

“We look forward to the continuation of a cooperative relationship with the community and other partners in the maintenance of sustainable projects that recognize and accomplish the spirit and intent of the Whitefish Area Trust Lands Neighborhood Plan,” Frye wrote.

History

The impetus of Whitefish Legacy Partners dates back to 2003.

The state DNRC held a public meeting in Whitefish presenting a plan to sell off 13,000 acres of State School Trust Lands surrounding the city. The state hoped to increase revenue for schools through real estate transactions.

Thompson recalled the reaction of the community as folks packed a meeting room at Grouse Mountain Lodge in an uproar.

“The community rose up and came up with a better plan,” he said.

Thompson said it became apparent that the Flathead Valley economy was being driven by the amenities of access to public lands, viewsheds, and clean water.

“The population was growing and there were no trespassing signs going up in places there had never been before,” he said. “All of a sudden, use was constricted. There was more and more use happening on state lands.”

A deal was eventually struck between the state and local stakeholders. The state Land Board approved the unprecedented partnership, which resulted in the 2004 Neighborhood Plan and the 2006 A Trail Runs Through It (now Whitefish Trail) Master Plan. The neighborhood plan defines future land uses for the 13,000 acres of trust lands that support clean water, quality wildlife habitat and public recreation access.

The plan charged stakeholders with a 10-year mission to address at least 2,500 acres. During that time, the state agreed to hold off on selling the land and if the goal was met, an extension of the plan would be allowed to provide additional time to complete its goals.

Flathead Gateway Partners, which would eventually become Whitefish Legacy Partners, began working with the city of Whitefish in 2008 in a public-private partnership to carry out the goals set out in the neighborhood plan.

The plan brought many different stakeholders to the table protecting various interests. Today that can present both a challenge and a reward, Van Everen said.

“Sometimes its overwhelming that our mission is recreation, education, conservation, clean water, viewshed and habitat,” Van Everen said. “It’s a lot to have on your plate, but it allows you to involve so many different partners.”

Progress

Planning for the Whitefish Trail began in 2008, and has become the cornerstone of Legacy Partners’ work.

That same year, the city, Legacy Partners and Michael Goguen reached an agreement that would kick-start the project. The agreement was for recreation use easements, and the development and construction of a segment of the trail through Goguen’s private property.

A $3 million donation from Goguen was used to assist the project.

A recreation easement approved in 2012 allowed the Whitefish Trail to connect Murray, Beaver, Woods, Dollar and Little Beaver lakes. It also retired development rights and allowed public access to 1,520 acres of school trust state land.

“This has truly been a community effort,” Van Everen said. “Mike Goguen helped us start this and his investment has helped leverage more. But we’ve done a lot of work and the community really believes in this.”

Also in 2012, Goguen offered a 580 acre land bank transaction with a two home-site development restriction and dedicated two-mile public trail.

Legacy Partners was also part of a 2013 deal in which the city holds the recreation use license for 15 miles of established trails scattered across Spencer Mountain.

In addition, Legacy Partners facilitates a number of educational opportunities on the Whitefish Trail. The Whitefish Interpretive Trail and Learning Pavilion constructed this summer is designed to be an open-air classroom.

“We’ve got so much momentum from the last 10 years it’s exciting,” Van Everen said. “We have progress — people believe in what we’re doing.”

Future

Legacy Partners has reached its 10-year benchmark, but it still has plenty of work left to do.

Last month the group received a $75,000 grant from the state to assist with trail construction and trailhead facilities. Next year they plan to use the money to help fund construction of more than four miles of trail providing access to Dollar Lake and Little Beaver Lake. It will also support construction of trailhead facilities at Dollar Lake, as well as interpretive trails and signage for the learning pavilion.

Van Everen said this year was unusual in that Legacy Partners did not construct any new trails and its excited to get back to that next year.

“That will be our celebration of the Beaver Lakes easement — to build trails,” she said. “We want people to get out there and enjoy those areas.”

The group continues to chip away at its long-term goal of creating a 55-mile trail loop around Whitefish. Trails already provide access to Lion Mountain, Beaver and Skyles lakes, Spencer Mountain and Swift Creek. The goal is to create connections between Swift Creek to Whitefish Mountain Resort and Haskill Basin.

Thompson says the closing paragraph of neighborhood plan is just as salient today as it was 10 years ago when the document was written:

“As with all plans this is not the end of the road, but is the beginning of the hard work of implementing the identified actions. The same spirit of cooperation, creativity, and stick-to-it-itiveness that went into the creation of this neighborhood plan would be required to move ahead in years to come.”