Flathead Land Trust is excited to announce that in December 2022, the Kohrs family placed 655 acres of rich farmland and wildlife habitat under conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust.
While land has been rapidly subdivided in the Flathead Valley, Doug and Carolyn Kohrs have been buying parcels of land to reassemble a large tract of farmland with key wildlife habitat along the Stillwater River southwest of Whitefish. From a 20-acre parcel purchased in 2005, Doug and Carolyn Kohrs have pieced together 655 acres of rich farmland and own it in partnership with their children, Ross, Hannah and Clara. On Dec. 30, 2022, the Kohrs family took another step in keeping this large farm and valuable wildlife habitat intact by placing a conservation easement on their 655 acres.
Three generations of the Kohrs family on their conserved property along the Stillwater River west of Whitefish
The purchased conservation easement will permanently protect the Kohrs investment in farming and wildlife. It will keep over 500 acres of rich farmland in agriculture – some of the best soils in Montana and the nation. The conservation easement will also protect the ecological integrity, healthy river function, and water quality of the Stillwater River as the Kohrs property contains riparian forest and wetlands along 1.7 miles of the river.
The riparian forest and wetlands also provide key wildlife habitat, used by federally listed grizzly bears and a plethora of other wildlife such as black bears, wolves, bobcat, coyote, fox, mountain lion, elk, and deer – all documented with a wildlife camera on the property. Elk calve and whitetail deer winter on the property, and over 100 species of birds also use this area that is now protected under conservation easement. The habitat provided by the Kohrs property enhances winter range and wildlife habitat provided by the adjacent 1,557-acre Kuhns Wildlife Management Area and an additional 1,800 acres of contiguous public land.
Doug and Carolyn Kohrs are thrilled to be able to place this special area under conservation easement. “Our family is excited to preserve this special property that serves as a wildlife corridor along the Stillwater River. Whitefish and Kalispell have seen many changes and much development in the last several years and our family wants to provide the space for both farming and wildlife to continue to thrive in the Flathead”.
Doug and Carolyn Kohrs on their conserved property, photo courtesy of KPAX
We are grateful for the many sources of funding that made this important conservation project possible: the Natural Resource Conservation Service Agricultural Land Easement Program, Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation through the Heart of the Rockies “Keep it Connected” Program, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Mitigation Program.
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